Property · Glossary

HausgeldMonthly owners’ contribution

The monthly fee owners pay into the building’s shared costs

3 min read·Updated December 2024

Hausgeld is the monthly contribution a condo owner pays toward the building’s shared costs: common-area maintenance, shared utilities, building insurance, and the reserve fund.

Umlagefähig vs. Non-Umlagefähig

Part of the Hausgeld is umlagefähig — it can be passed on to the tenant through the annual Nebenkostenabrechnung. The rest, including the reserve-fund contribution and the management fee, stays with the owner and is generally deductible as a cost.

Key Points

  • Covers maintenance, shared utilities, insurance, and the Instandhaltungsrücklage reserve
  • The owner-borne portion is a real cost to factor into cashflow
  • A thin reserve fund can mean special assessments for major works later

See how Hausgeld flows through your numbers

Continue in the masterclass

Lesson 2.5 · How property investment works in Germany

Ongoing ownership

Being a landlord: WEG, Hausgeld, and your duties.

Lesson 5.5 · Explore property strategies

Mehrfamilienhaus (multifamily)

Buying a whole building, and what changes at scale.

Related Terms

WEG(Wohnungseigentümergemeinschaft)

A WEG (Wohnungseigentümergemeinschaft) is the community of owners in a building divided into condos. It votes annually on the budget, repairs, and modernisation, and individual owners can be outvoted on shared matters within the limits of the WEG-Gesetz.

Operating Costs(Bewirtschaftungskosten)

Operating costs (Bewirtschaftungskosten) include property management, maintenance, insurance, property tax, and utilities. Typically 20-30% of rental income.

Deductible Expenses(Werbungskosten)

Werbungskosten are expenses related to earning rental income that you can deduct from your taxable income. This includes mortgage interest, repairs, property management fees, insurance, and more.

Planning a purchase?

Buying in Germany adds roughly 7% to 12% on top of the purchase price.

Transfer tax

3.5% to 6.5% of the price, set by the state.

Notary & registry

About 1.5% to 2%, fixed by law (GNotKG).

Agent commission

Usually around 3.57% as the buyer's share.

Run your full numbers How buying works here

Prefer to explore at your own pace?

Take the free 6-lesson email course on property investing in Germany, written for internationals.

Educational emails only, not financial or tax advice.

Back to glossary
Hausgeld (Monthly owners’ contribution) | Financemate Glossary