Do I have to pay the Rundfunkbeitrag?

At a glance

Charged per

Home (Wohnung), not per person or device

Shared flats

One contribution for the whole flat

How they find you

Address data from the registration registers

Exemptions

Certain benefit recipients; reductions on disability grounds

Second home

Can be exempt on application if the main home is paid for

Why a letter arrives shortly after you register

The contribution service receives address data from the registration registers, so a letter usually follows within weeks of your Anmeldung. It is not a scam and it is not optional, but it can be wrong — most often because the flat is already paid for by someone else.

Answer it rather than ignoring it. Unanswered letters lead to assessment notices and, eventually, enforcement.

What to reply in common situations

• Someone in your flat already pays: give their contribution number so the accounts are linked and you are not charged twice.
• You moved in mid-month: state the actual move-in date, because liability starts from then.
• You share a flat: agree who is registered as the contributor and how the cost is split internally.
• You receive certain social benefits: apply for an exemption and attach the benefit decision.
• You keep a second home: apply for the secondary-home exemption with proof for the main home.

Common mistakes

• Ignoring the first letter and receiving an assessment notice later.
• Paying a second contribution for a flat that is already registered.
• Forgetting to deregister after moving out or moving abroad.

What happens next

• You are registered as a contributor, or linked to an existing contribution for the flat.
• Payments are collected at a regular interval, usually by direct debit.
• When you move out, notify the service so liability ends on the right date.

Related questions

I do not own a TV. Does that matter?

No. The contribution is tied to the home, not to devices or to actual use.

Are students exempt?

Not automatically. Some students receiving specific state support can apply for an exemption; otherwise the flat's contribution is due.

What if I live with family?

One contribution covers the home, so a household pays once regardless of how many adults live there.

Related guides

• After Anmeldung

  The practical sequence of tasks in the weeks after registering an address: certificate, tax ID, bank, insurance, employer, and the broadcasting fee.

• Anmeldung documents

  The precise document checklist for registration: mandatory papers, family and children cases, representatives, and local variation.

• Anmeldung in Berlin

  Register your Berlin address: appointment, landlord confirmation, documents and what the Meldebestätigung unlocks.

Related answers

• Broadcasting fee exemption

  Exemption follows listed benefits or a disability mark — sharing a paid household is the more common fix.

• How long Anmeldung takes

  The appointment is short; the appointment queue is the real wait. How to plan around the two-week deadline.

• Registering late

  Late registration is an administrative offence, not a residence problem. What it can cost and how to catch up.

Related situations

• Leaving Germany

  Notice first, deregistration at the move, bank account last. The order that avoids charges after you go.

• Moving to another German city

  One deadline, then the updates no authority does for you.

Related compare

• Anmeldung vs residence permit

  One records your address, the other authorises your stay. Different offices, different documents.