# How to Stop Paying the Rundfunkbeitrag Twice in a Shared Flat

> The broadcasting fee is paid once per flat, not per person. If a flatmate already pays, answer the letter with their Beitragsnummer and you pay nothing extra.

- URL: https://hsalem.com/rundfunkbeitrag-shared-flat-pay-once/
- Author: Hassan Salem (https://hsalem.com/about/)
- Published: 2026-10-13
- Topics: Expat, Finance, Germany

You moved into a WG (shared flat) or in with your partner, and now a letter from the Beitragsservice asks you to pay the Rundfunkbeitrag (public broadcasting fee). But someone in the flat already pays it. You do not have to pay again. You only have to tell them, and you really have to do it.

The fee is per Wohnung (flat), not per person. Right now the official site lists 55.08 euros per quarter, which is 18.36 euros per month, and one payment covers everybody who lives there.

## What you need

1. The letter from the Beitragsservice. It has a 10-digit Aktenzeichen (reference number) on it.
2. The Beitragsnummer (9-digit contribution number) of the flatmate who pays. They can find it on their letters, their bank statement or their online account.
3. The date you moved in.

## Steps

1. Do not ignore the letter. If you do not answer, the Beitragsservice registers you itself, backdated to the move-in date it gets from your Anmeldung (address registration). Then you get your own bill.
2. Ask your flatmate for their Beitragsnummer. The number belongs to a person, not to the flat, so make sure you have the one of the person who actually pays.
3. Go to rundfunkbeitrag.de, open the forms page and choose "Anfrage zur Beitragspflicht beantworten" (answer the request about your fee obligation). Enter the Aktenzeichen from your letter and the Beitragsnummer of the payer. If you prefer paper, fill in the reply form that came with the letter and send it back by post.
4. If you already had your own account from your old flat, close it with the form "Wohnung abmelden" (deregister a flat). As the reason, give the name and Beitragsnummer of the person who pays for your new flat. If you are the one who will pay for the new place, do not deregister. Use "Daten ändern" (change data) to report your new address instead.
5. Wait for the written confirmation. Your old account is only closed when they confirm it, and until then the fee keeps running. If nothing comes after a few weeks, write again and keep a copy.

## Common mistakes

**Paying under your flatmate's number "to keep it simple".** The Beitragsservice itself says this is not a good idea, because it causes problems when one of you moves out.

**Waiting too long.** Deregistering normally works only for the future, not for months you already paid. If two people in the flat have been paying, report it as soon as you notice.

**Forgetting about it when the payer moves out.** Someone who stays must then register the flat. Otherwise the letters start again for everyone.

**Thinking you are free because you have no TV.** Devices do not matter at all. Only the flat matters.

Almost every expat I know got this letter in the first months after the Anmeldung. It looks scary, but answering it takes five minutes.

Checked in October 2026. The fee amount may change, so please check rundfunkbeitrag.de before you send anything.

## Sources

1. [Rundfunkbeitrag: Worauf müssen Sie bei einem Umzug achten?](https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/presse-und-aktuelles/servicethemen/worauf-muessen-sie-bei-einem-umzug-achten)
2. [Rundfunkbeitrag: Infobroschüre zur An, Um und Abmeldung (PDF)](https://www.rundfunkbeitrag.de/pxy/assets/d519fb8c065c07e78951fedd0840f51100ca9333/Infobrosch%C3%BCre%20An-%2CUm-%2CAbmeldung.pdf)
3. [Verbraucherzentrale Hamburg: Abmelden vom Rundfunkbeitrag](https://www.vzhh.de/themen/rundfunkbeitrag/abmelden-vom-rundfunkbeitrag)
4. [amtsdeutschland.de: Rundfunkbeitrag anmelden](https://amtsdeutschland.de/rundfunkbeitrag/anmeldung/)