ErbenakteWho pays the running costs in a community of heirs?
Checked on 11.11.2026
Translated from German. Where anything differs, the German text counts: Deutsche Fassung
Property tax, building insurance, heating, electricity against frost: the house costs money every month, even if nobody lives in it. Often one person pays, and the others do not know how much.
What generally applies
The heirs bear the charges of the estate in proportion to their shares. How this is settled in your family, on a sale, a takeover or before, is an agreement between you; in a dispute, a lawyer assesses it.
What helps
- Every cost with amount, kind and date, and who paid it. Receipts in one place.
- Let the others confirm what they have seen. A confirmed cost is the beginning of the end of a dispute.
- Make the cost of waiting visible. Every month without a decision costs everyone.
An example with assumed figures
Property tax of €480, building insurance of €720 and heating of €1,200 a year make €2,400 together, so €200 a month. With three heirs on equal shares that is €66.67 each a month. In the app you calculate with your own figures, by share where the shares are unequal.