Organize your own cable connection from 2024: Financial experts warn of possible cost traps

Organize your own cable connection from 2024: Financial experts warn of possible cost traps

According to a report by www.zeit.de, tenants will have to take care of their TV reception themselves from July 1, 2024, as the so-called “auxiliary cost privilege” will no longer apply. From this point on, landlords are no longer allowed to bill the costs for cable connections as additional costs. This means that tenants have to independently conclude contracts with cable providers.

The consumer advice center and tenant associations recommend looking for a new provider early on and comparing contracts. Agents are currently already knocking on apartment doors to conclude contracts, so tenants should be careful to check exactly what the contracts contain.

The impact on the market and consumers could be diverse. Since landlords are no longer allowed to bill the costs for cable connections through additional costs, the prices for cable connections could rise. The group tariffs for landlords were often cheaper, so that the cable connection could easily become more expensive with an individual contract - by around two to three euros per month. This could lead to higher costs for tenants.

On the other hand, tenants now have more freedom in how they receive television and no longer have to pay for connections that they may not even use. When concluding a new contract, it is important for consumers to check carefully which services are actually required in order to avoid unnecessary costs. Reception via a cable connection is still possible, but reception via satellite, Internet or a DVBT antenna is also possible.

Overall, this step can mean that tenants have more choices when it comes to their TV reception, but also have to bear higher costs if cable fees can no longer be billed as additional costs. It remains to be seen how the market and consumers will adapt to this change.