Cable TV in your Nebenkosten: what tenants need to know in 2026
Updated 6/17/2026 · HausMaus Redaktion
Since 1 July 2024 the "Nebenkostenprivileg" for cable television has been abolished: your landlord may no longer pass the cost of the building's shared cable connection on to you through the Nebenkostenabrechnung (annual operating-cost statement) — the old basis in § 2 Nr. 15 BetrKV no longer applies. If a cable-TV charge still appears for the period from July 2024 onwards, you can object in writing within 12 months of receipt (§ 556 Abs. 3 BGB). You now decide for yourself how you receive TV.
What was the "Nebenkostenprivileg"?
The Nebenkostenprivileg (cable-TV billing privilege) was the decades-old rule that let landlords pass the fee for a building-wide shared cable connection on to every tenant as Betriebskosten (operating costs) — through the Nebenkostenabrechnung (annual operating-cost statement), whether or not you actually watched cable TV. The legal basis was § 2 Nr. 15 of the Betriebskostenverordnung (BetrKV) (the operating-costs regulation).
The most important fact first: this privilege has been abolished as of 1 July 2024. Your landlord may no longer pass the cost of the shared cable connection on to you through the Betriebskosten. For many households that is several euros a month that can now appear in a statement by mistake.
What changed on 1 July 2024
The reform of the Telekommunikationsgesetz (TKG) (Telecommunications Act) removed the Nebenkostenprivileg. A transition period applied — and it ended on 30 June 2024. In concrete terms:
- For the period 1 January to 30 June 2024, the cable fee could be billed pro-rata through the Betriebskosten one last time.
- From 1 July 2024, that is over: the fee for the shared cable connection is no longer chargeable.
Achtung: Check your Nebenkostenabrechnung specifically for a cable-TV item covering months from July 2024. If a cable flat fee still appears there, it is generally no longer permitted — and you get money back if you object in time.
What the landlord may still pass on
Not every line with the word "cable" is automatically wrong. Distinguish:
| Item | Chargeable from July 2024? |
|---|---|
| Fee for the programme signal / the cable provider's collective contract | No |
| Operation of the in-house distribution system (keeping the connection usable) | Yes, narrowly |
| Provisioning charge for a newly laid fibre installation | Yes, time-limited and capped (special case) |
The item that really matters — the monthly cable-TV flat fee — no longer belongs in any Nebenkostenabrechnung from July 2024 on.
You now choose your own TV reception
Losing the privilege has a pleasant side effect: you are no longer tied to the collective contract your landlord picked. Your options:
- DVB-T2 HD via a room or roof aerial (free for the public broadcasters in many regions),
- satellite (a dish, often a one-off purchase),
- IPTV or streaming over your internet connection,
- your own cable contract directly with the provider.
If the supply contract taken out through the landlord has already run for at least 24 months, you also have a special right to cancel it vis-à-vis the landlord.
Step by step: how to check your statement
- Look at the billing period. Which year does the statement cover? For anything from July 2024 on, no cable-TV flat fee may be included.
- Search for the item. Watch for terms like "Kabelfernsehen", "Kabelgebühr", "Breitbandkabel", "Gemeinschaftsantenne" or "Multimedia".
- Check the time share. If it bills 2024, at most the January–June portion is permitted — not the whole year.
- Note the date of receipt. Record when the statement reached you — your 12-month objection window (§ 556 Abs. 3 BGB) runs from that day.
- Object in writing. Name the item specifically and ask for a corrected statement. Send it provably (registered letter).
Common mistakes in the statement
- A cable flat fee for the whole of 2024 instead of only January to June.
- Cable TV from 2025 still appearing despite the privilege being gone.
- A renamed item — the same fee hidden under "Multimedia" or "media supply".
- Missing the deadline — objecting later than 12 months after receipt.
HausMaus makes it easier
HausMaus is free for tenants and checks your Nebenkostenabrechnung item by item against § 2 BetrKV — including whether a cable-TV fee for the period from July 2024 is chargeable at all. The app shows you the 12-month deadline under § 556 BGB so you don't miss the objection window, and on request drafts the matching written objection for you to send to your landlord. Wohnen, geregelt.
Frequently asked questions
Can my landlord still bill cable fees through the Nebenkosten?
No — not for the period from 1 July 2024 onwards. With the end of the so-called Nebenkostenprivileg (the transition period under the TKG reform), passing the cost of a shared cable connection through the Betriebskosten (operating costs) is no longer allowed; the former basis in § 2 Nr. 15 BetrKV no longer covers it. For 1 January to 30 June 2024 a pro-rata charge was still permitted. If a cable-TV charge appears for months from July 2024 onwards, that item is generally no longer chargeable.
By when must I object to a wrong cable item?
Within 12 months of receiving the Nebenkostenabrechnung (§ 556 Abs. 3 S. 5 BGB). Raise your objection in writing and provably — ideally by registered letter (Einschreiben) — and name the cable-TV item specifically. Miss the deadline and substantive objections are generally barred.
Can I now choose my own TV reception?
Yes. Since the Nebenkostenprivileg ended you are no longer tied to the collective contract your landlord chose. You can switch to other reception routes — DVB-T2 HD (aerial), satellite, IPTV or streaming — or take out your own cable contract. If the collective supply contract has run for at least 24 months, you have a right to cancel it vis-à-vis the landlord.
What may the landlord still pass on for the cable connection?
From 1 July 2024, only the pure operating costs of the in-house distribution system — what is needed to keep the connection ready for use. The actual programme signal, i.e. the cable provider's fee, is no longer part of it. For newly built fibre installations a time-limited provisioning charge (Bereitstellungsentgelt) may be passed on under narrow conditions — but that is different from the old cable flat fee.
What happens to my rent if I cancel the cable connection?
Once you validly cancel the supply contract that ran through the landlord, the corresponding cost share falls away. What matters most: for the period from July 2024 onwards no shared cable fee may be passed through the Nebenkosten anyway, so check your statement specifically for such an item.
Sources
This guide is based on the statute text and official sources. You can read the cited paragraphs in the original here: