A Shortfall on Your Annual Statement: 7 Things to Check Before You Pay
The annual statement (vyúčtovanie) compares what you paid in advances during the year with the share of the building’s real invoices that fell on your flat. A shortfall (nedoplatok) means the advances were not enough and you pay the difference. That does not always mean you used a lot. Here are seven places worth checking first.
Want to see it live? In our interactive statement guide you can tap any row of a sample statement and see what it means and how it was calculated, with the original Slovak terms.
What questions will this article answer?
| Question | You'll find the answer in section |
|---|---|
| Is my flat’s area right? | 1. Floor area |
| Why does the number of residents matter? | 2. Residents and person-months |
| Does a shortfall mean I used too much? | 3. Advances vs. actual cost |
| Why is a whole item a shortfall? | 4. Items without an advance |
| Why do I pay for heating even when I save? | 5. Heating |
| Why do I pay for more water than my meter showed? | 6. Water and the coefficient |
| What is the balance before settlement? | 7. Account balance |
1. Floor area (podlahová plocha) 📐
Building insurance or the repair fund are split by floor area; part of the heat by heated area (vykurovaná plocha). A balcony or loggia counts only at a quarter for the repair fund. If the area doesn’t match what you know, e.g. from your purchase contract, ask the manager what it is based on. It affects many items at once.
2. Residents and person-months (osobomesiace) 👨👩👧
Waste, cleaning, lighting or the lift are often split by person-months: how many people lived in the flat in each month. Two people all year are 2 × 12 = 24 person-months. Report a change in the number of residents right away; with many managers an unreported change cannot be claimed retroactively.
3. Advances vs. actual cost 📊
A shortfall often comes not from high consumption but from an advance that didn’t account for a price increase. Example from the guide: a household used 26 m³ of water per person, below the 34 m³ average, and still had a shortfall because the water price changed during the year. If you have a shortfall every year, ask for your advance schedule to be adjusted.
4. Items without an advance 🌧️
Some items, such as rainwater drainage or winter maintenance, may have no advance set. Then the whole amount is a shortfall. They can be added to the monthly payment schedule so they don’t surprise you at year-end.
5. Heating 🔥
The heat invoice has a fixed component for the capacity available to the building and a variable one for the heat actually used. The fixed part is paid all year, which is why the bill doesn’t drop as much after a warm winter. On top of that, part of the cost (60% by law unless owners decide otherwise) is split by floor area, because heat “flows over” from neighbours. So even with radiators off, you pay something.
6. Water and the coefficient 🚰
The sum of the flat meters almost never matches the building’s main meter. The difference is split through a coefficient, so you pay slightly more than your meter showed. A small difference is normal. A sharp rise in the coefficient compared to last year deserves attention: the cause may be a leak or meters past their verification date.
7. Account balance 💳
The line “stav konta pred vyúčtovaním” (balance before settlement) shows whether you paid exactly as scheduled. If a monthly payment is missing or was sent without the correct payment reference (variabilný symbol), the shortfall grows by that amount. An unpaid shortfall from last year also shows up here.
Deadlines and objections ⏱️
Pay a shortfall within the deadline stated by the manager, typically 15 or 30 days from delivery. An objection does not postpone payment: even if you dispute the statement, the shortfall must be paid on time. If you are right, the difference is refunded. The money goes not to the manager but to the building’s account, which belongs to all owners.
Conclusion: understand first, then pay 🧠
Most shortfalls have a logical explanation you can find in a few minutes. Walk through a sample statement step by step in our interactive guide. If your numbers still don’t add up, get in touch.
This article is for information only and is not legal advice. Deadlines, split methods and item names may differ depending on the management contract and decisions of the owners in your building.
