However, I am surprised that no one noticed that general electricity was not charged in the utility bill.
To be honest, I didn’t really check it. I had always known the landlord as serious and reliable before, and since the bill was done by a large billing company, I didn’t expect any big trickery. I probably wouldn’t have noticed either if I hadn’t taken photos of the meters. However, I was always puzzled by our enormous electricity consumption in the first years in the apartment.
We had over 4000 KWH per year with 2 people. Although we were hardly ever at home and had no major consumers apart from the dryer, washing machine, and stove. We only had one refrigerator and not even a freezer, etc. Everything was equipped with energy-saving bulbs. And still, an enormous consumption. At some point, the consumption then dropped to a normal 3000 KWH per year. After I checked everything again, I noticed that the drop in consumption corresponded a lot with the change of the other tenant.
As I have now found out, the basement room of the other tenant was also connected to our electricity circuit. The previous tenants always had a dryer and washing machine there. However, the new tenants no longer did. I still have contact with the old tenants and they also confirmed to me that they themselves had a very low consumption in the apartment during that time.
The landlord did not show up for the appointment with the billing company. I pointed out the issue of general electricity to the employee of the billing company. He immediately realized and confirmed that the general electricity issue was not on his list and therefore probably not billed by his company. He made a note of it and also left me his business card in case there is any "need for clarification" about this in the future.
Shortly afterward, the landlord appeared briefly and, contrary to his prior verbal agreement, pressured us to carry out remaining work as stated in the contract. I made it clear to him that I would not do that and if he wants to assert his "right," he has to take the legal route. On that occasion, other matters could also be clarified...
There was no official handover, and in the meantime, a new tenant has already moved in. I myself will do nothing for the time being and let the matter rest, as long as I don’t hear anything further from the landlord...