CLAIMSTAKE · CHECKLISTE EINSEITER
The First Year as Landlord: Deadline Calendar & Statutory Duties
Tenancy law and the owners association · Stand: 2026-08-10
PROTOMINDS
Bonn & Köln
The annual landlord calendar: rent monitoring, annual owner meeting, and the strict 12-month preclusion deadline for operating cost statements.
Being a landlord is an ongoing administrative stewardship. Staying ahead of mandatory statutory deadlines prevents costly forfeitures.
The Annual Landlord Calendar:
- Monthly (1st to 4th bank day): Monitor incoming rent and operating cost prepayments. If rent is unpaid by the 3rd working day (§556b BGB), issue a polite payment reminder immediately.
- Spring/Summer (May–July): Attend the annual Eigentümerversammlung (ETV). Review the past year's Jahresabrechnung, vote on the upcoming Wirtschaftsplan, and inspect reserve development.
- Autumn (September–November): Prepare the tenant's annual Betriebskostenabrechnung. Under §556 Abs. 3 BGB, the statement must reach the tenant within 12 months of the end of the billing period (e.g., by 31 December 2027 for calendar year 2026). If you miss this deadline by even one single day, you are legally barred from claiming any back-payments (Ausschlussfrist)! Prepayment adjustments must be declared simultaneously.
- Tax Season: Submit Anlage V reflecting collected rents and deductible advertising costs.
- Tenant Communication: Inspect smoke detector battery compliance and heating functionality before winter.
Verified Primary Sources:
- §BGB §556 – Betriebskosten und Abrechnungsfrist(Bundesministerium der Justiz / juris, 2026-08)