Frequently asked questions

The prorated service charges are the general costs for services such as maintaining the property, seasonal expenses such as snow removal, garden maintenance, fees for rubbish, water and waste water, as well as shared electricity costs for the lighting in the stairwell and laundry room. These costs are distributed proportionally among all tenants according to a key. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. For more information, please refer to your tenancy agreement. 

They include heating and hot water as well as other service charges. For more information, please refer to your tenancy agreement. The ancillary costs do not include extra costs such as privately used electricity, Internet, SERAFE etc. These have to be paid directly to the relevant provider.

We are expecting that the rise in energy prices will lead to a significant increase in ancillary costs. However, we are not able to reliably estimate the amount by which ancillary costs will increase because the price trends for gas and oil are still very volatile. Added to that, rising raw material prices could also have a negative effect on a range of other services, which could also lead to an increase in the service charges for your property and cause your ancillary bills to be increased. In this regard, please bear in mind that your monthly payments on account are not based on current costs. Higher energy prices will therefore not immediately affect your payments on account and will only be evaluated when the annual bill for your actual ancillary costs is drawn up. 

Voluntarily choosing not to use communal infrastructure provided on site, such as lifts, playgrounds, etc. does not exempt tenants from the obligation to pay. In these cases, the principle of solidarity applies.

It is quite normal for prices on the commodity markets and in the service and industrial sectors to fluctuate. This can be due to the weather, price adjustments made by tradespersons, increase in fees and charges, etc. 

In general, the costs of renting a property can be divided into rent, ancillary costs (heating, hot water, property maintenance etc.) and personal living costs (private electricity, Internet etc.). The energy costs for heating and communal electricity are included in the ancillary costs and are not part of the rent. The same applies to any price increases to the same. The electricity you buy for your own use from your local electricity provider will be governed by a separate contract between you and the local provider. This means that these private living costs are separate from your rent and ancillary costs.

In view of the increase in energy prices, we recommend monitoring the current energy situation and increasing your payments on account or building up savings where possible. If you would like to increase your payments on account, you can do so at any time. Please note that you will need to notify us in writing if you want to increase your payments on account. To do so, please use the form for increasing your ancillary cost payments and return the signed form to service@livit.ch.

We are happy to help you estimate any anticipated increase in costs. However, please note that the estimates provided by our advisers are not binding because it is not possible to predict how energy prices will develop in the future.

We recommend monitoring the current situation and, if possible, to increase your payments on account or build up savings. Please note that you will need to notify us in writing if you want to increase your payments on account. To do so, please use the form for increasing your ancillary cost payments and return the signed form to service@livit.ch.

If you would like to increase your payments on account, we can help you estimate the anticipated increase in costs.  However, please note that the estimates provided by our advisers are not binding because it is not possible to predict how energy prices will develop in the future.

This is usually because your consumption (water, waste water, heating and warm water) has gone up relative to the previous billing period. Increases in heating costs and service charges (oil prices, service subscription fee increases, cold winters etc.) can also lead to higher bills.

If you would like to increase your payments on account because of the current energy situation, please write to us at service@livit.ch. If you have already thought about the amount by which you would like to increase your payments, you are welcome to let us know what figure you have in mind.

If your heating and water consumption is metered, meaning you pay for them depending on how much you use, the ancillary costs of identical flats can differ a lot depending on user behaviour. Please also note that your neighbour may be paying a different amount on account each month, which is why their final ancillary cost balance (debit or credit) may differ.