Flatmates often ask whether each of them owes the fee. The answer in SERAFE's and OFCOM's words is one fee for the household, which has consequences for who pays and who is asked (state: October 2026).
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What jointly liable means for flatmates
Jointly liable means the fee is owed by the household as a whole: SERAFE does not split the bill among the names, and if it is not paid, after unsuccessful reminders a prosecution can be started against one of the members. How the cost is divided is a private matter. A written agreement on who pays and when, as for rent, avoids the situation where one flatmate pays for everyone and the others forget.
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Who counts as a household
SERAFE uses only the data it receives monthly from the residents' registers of the municipalities and cantons, so the household on the invoice follows the register at that address. If a flatmate has moved out and still appears, or a new one is missing, the correction goes to the residents' register office; SERAFE forwards a reported correction to the register the following month.
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Student hostels and collective households
Student hostels, old people's homes, hospitals and prisons are collective households, a type that the Register Harmonisation Ordinance lists definitively. A collective household pays its own collective fee, paid by the body responsible for it, not by the residents.
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Weekly residents and a second address
A weekly resident pays the fee for the main residence only; members of a household who live elsewhere some days a week do not pay twice. The household's fee also covers a secondary residence, unless the main residence is abroad.
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Practical tips for a new flat
Four habits that save arguments:
- Register at the address, so that the household shows up correctly
- Agree in writing who pays the annual or quarterly invoice and how it is split, see the SERAFE invoice
- Choose quarterly payment if monthly cash flow matters
- When someone moves out, update the residents' register and check the next invoice, see the fee when life changes
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Where to go next
See also Radio and TV fee and TV for newcomers. For the whole picture, start from IPTV Switzerland: licensed providers compared.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does each flatmate pay the SERAFE fee?
No. One fee is due per household, and all adults in it are jointly liable for that fee.
Why are several names on my SERAFE invoice?
The invoice lists all adult members of the private household who are required to pay; they are jointly liable.
Do students in a hostel pay?
A student hostel is a collective household that pays the collective fee, paid by the body responsible for it.
What if a flatmate moved out?
Update the residents' register; SERAFE uses the registers' data and follows the register.
Sources
Read next
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