§ 3-4. Payment for electricity, water and sewage
If you pay a charge for electricity, water or sewage on top of the rent (husleie), you have the right to see what it actually costs and how it is divided. Two thirds of the tenants in the building can demand that individual meters be installed.
Machine-translated from Norwegian. The Norwegian text is the one that applies. Read the original in Norwegian.Norsk English العربية Polski Українська
The text of the law (unofficial translation)
If it has been agreed that the tenant (leier) shall contribute separately to the landlord's (utleier) expenses for the consumption of electricity or fuel in the property, the tenant may demand that the landlord each year presents accounts showing the size of the costs and how they are divided among the property's rented premises (husrom). The same applies if the tenant is to contribute separately to the landlord's expenses for the consumption of water and sewage in the property.
In a property with a shared system for supplying heating or hot water, a majority of two thirds of the tenants may demand that equipment be installed to measure each individual's consumption. The same majority of the tenants may demand that equipment be installed to measure each individual's consumption of water and sewage. In that case, the landlord may, over a period of one year, spread the costs of such installations among all the tenants in the property.
For the purposes of the rules in the Enforcement Act (tvangsfullbyrdelsesloven) chapter 13, claims as mentioned in the first and second paragraphs are regarded as rent.
What does this mean?
Many tenancies (leieforhold) include a charge for electricity, district heating, water or sewage. It may be a fixed share of the building's total costs, divided among the tenants.
Your right to see the accounts. If you pay such a charge, you can demand each year to see the accounts — what did the electricity cost in total, and how was it divided among the tenants? You should not pay more than your proportionate share of the actual costs.
The right to meters. If you have a shared heating system or hot water tank, two thirds of the tenants in the building can join together and demand that individual meters be installed. Each tenant then pays for their actual consumption — not a standard flat-rate split. The landlord can spread the cost of installing the meters among all the tenants over one year.
The same right applies to shared water meters.
Example
Marius lives in a building with five flats. Everyone pays NOK 600 a month for "electricity and water". Marius wonders whether this is correct. He demands to see the annual accounts from the landlord. It turns out that they are paying somewhat more than the actual cost — Marius can demand that the amount be adjusted down.
Common mistakes
- Paying an electricity/water charge without checking whether it is documented. Ask for the accounts every year — it is your right.
- Thinking the majority requirement for meters is easy to meet. Two thirds of all the tenants in the building must support the demand — not just you.
What should you do?
Ask to see the accounts for energy and water every year. If you are unhappy with how the costs are divided, raise it with the landlord and ask for documentation. If many tenants are unhappy, consider coordinating a demand for individual meters.