Rundfunkbeitrag Beitragsbescheid — household fee registration explained

What is a Rundfunkbeitrag Beitragsbescheid?

A Beitragsbescheid (or Festsetzungsbescheid) from the Beitragsservice von ARD, ZDF und Deutschlandradio is the official notice that your household must pay the Rundfunkbeitrag — Germany's mandatory public broadcasting fee. It confirms registration at your address, assigns a Beitragsnummer, and states the amount and payment rhythm.

This is the first formal letter in the process — not a Mahnung (payment reminder). If you ignore it, reminders and enforcement follow. The fee applies per Wohnung (household), not per person or device.

Why you received it now

• You completed Anmeldung at the Bürgeramt — data is shared with the Beitragsservice
• You registered online at rundfunkbeitrag.de after moving in
• The Beitragsservice matched your address in the Beitragsnummer registry
• You took over a flat and the previous tenant's account was closed
• A business premises was registered for the fee

By law you must register your household within a few weeks of moving in if no one at the address already pays. Late registration can mean back-payment for months you already lived there.

How much and how often

The standard rate is €18.36 per month per household (2024 increase — your Bescheid shows the exact figure). Billing is usually quarterly in advance: about €55.08 per quarter at the current rate.

Payment options: SEPA direct debit (most common), bank transfer using your Beitragsnummer as reference, or online portal. Missing a quarter triggers a Zahlungserinnerung, then a Mahnung — see our Rundfunkbeitrag Mahnung guide.

How to read your Bescheid

• Beitragsnummer — your permanent account number (keep it for all letters)
• Beitragskonto-Inhaber — person liable at this address
• Beitragszeitraum — period the assessment covers
• Beitragssatz — monthly amount (full or reduced)
• Fälligkeit — due date for the first or next payment
• SEPA-Mandat — direct debit authorisation if you signed up

One fee per household — WG and couples

Only one Rundfunkbeitrag is owed per apartment, regardless of how many people live there. In a Wohngemeinschaft (WG), flatmates split the cost privately — but only one Beitragsnummer should exist for the address.

If you moved in with a partner who already pays, de-register immediately and cite their Beitragsnummer. A duplicate registration causes double billing until corrected.

Exemptions and reduced rate (Befreiung / Ermäßigung)

Apply at rundfunkbeitrag.de if you qualify:

• Bürgergeld / ALG II — full Befreiung
• BAföG students living away from parents' household — full Befreiung
• Asylbewerberleistungen — full Befreiung
• RF mark on Schwerbehindertenausweis — Ermäßigung to one-third (€6.12/month)
• Deaf-blind or Blindenhilfe recipients — full Befreiung

Befreiung generally starts from the application date, not retroactively — except up to three years back if you can prove continuous eligibility. Submit your Bescheid copies with the application.

Moving out — Abmeldung

When you leave Germany or move to an address where someone else already pays, abmelden (de-register) your Beitragskonto. Send your Abmeldebescheinigung or new address proof. The fee stops from the de-registration date — not from when you stop paying without notice.

Second homes: since 2020 you can apply for Zweitwohnungsbefreiung if your main household elsewhere already pays.

Widerspruch — one-month deadline

You can file a Widerspruch against a Festsetzungsbescheid within one month of receipt. Valid reasons:

• You were exempt during the assessed period
• You did not live at the address
• Another household member already pays for this address
• The amount or period is wrong

Invalid objections (courts have rejected these): "I don't watch TV", "no television at home", "fee is unconstitutional". The BVerfG upheld the system in 2018.

Beitragsbescheid vs Mahnung vs enforcement

• Beitragsbescheid / Festsetzungsbescheid — initial or periodic assessment (this letter)
• Zahlungserinnerung — friendly reminder after missed payment
• Mahnung — formal reminder with Säumniszuschlag risk
• Final Festsetzungsbescheid — becomes enforcement title after 4 weeks — direct wage/account seizure possible

Unlike private debts, Beitragsservice enforcement skips the Mahnbescheid court route.

What to do — step by step

Step 1: Note your Beitragsnummer and save the Bescheid.

Step 2: Check if someone at the address already pays — de-register if duplicate.

Step 3: If eligible, apply for Befreiung before the first payment.

Step 4: Set up SEPA or calendar quarterly payments.

Step 5: If wrong, file Widerspruch within one month.

Step 6: On move-out, abmelden with proof to avoid back-charges.

When to get help

• Charged for months before you moved in — dispute with Anmeldung date proof.
• Two Beitragsnummern for one flat — insist on merging or closing one.
• Landlord claims fee is included in rent — legally it is still the occupier's duty unless contract explicitly transfers it correctly.
• Already received Mahnung on top of first Bescheid — read both dates carefully.
• Business premises mixed with home office — different rules may apply.

Key terms glossary

Still unsure what your letter means?

Upload a photo or PDF to Briefed. We explain your Beitragsnummer, first payment due date, exemption options, and whether this is a first Bescheid or already escalated toward Mahnung.

• Plain summary of amount and Beitragszeitraum
• Duplicate household check
• Befreiung eligibility hints
• Draft Widerspruch or Abmeldung letter in German

Last updated: June 2026