Activities to create comfortable living conditions for the population of apartment buildings and other buildings (water supply, wastewater disposal, supply of electricity, gas and heating) are housing and communal services. What is included in their list and what requirements they must meet is vital information for consumers.
New rules
In 2012, new rules related to the provision of services in the public utilities sector were introduced. The Resolution on the procedure for their provision provides precise definition utilities(KU). The executors of the CG are legal entities or individual entrepreneurs. They acquire resources, carry out work and are responsible for the serviceability of all intra-house communications. Population of apartment buildings and other residential buildings faced a number of conditions prescribed in Section 2 of the new rules. You have the right to use CU:
- owners of residential premises together with their families;
- persons who received housing from a cooperative organization;
- tenants of premises;
- persons who have rented an apartment or room.
What is included in the concept of “utilities”? These are the following benefits: electricity, drainage, access to hot and cold water and others. According to the rules, they are supplied continuously, and heating is provided around the clock during the season. In residential complexes, accidents and irregular supply of heat or water are possible, but within the framework of strictly regulated standards related to the quality of the heating system.
What is included in the list of utilities?
Services included in the list of utilities are presented in the table below.
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Supply is carried out to supply residents around the clock via a central or intra-house network. Proper quality and volume necessary for life’s needs are the main requirements for water. In the absence of a water supply system, the supply is carried out to the street water pump. |
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It is supplied around the clock through centralized networks to all areas of the house in order to provide consumers. |
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What is included in municipal wastewater disposal services? Wastewater disposal is carried out around the clock through centralized networks and in-house systems. Sewage systems should be present in most living areas of the house. |
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Electricity is uninterrupted, supplied to houses and apartments around the clock through the power supply network in the required volume. |
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Gas is supplied to houses and apartments through gas supply networks around the clock. Supply also includes the sale of gas cylinders. |
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Centralized networks and heat supply systems supply thermal energy into houses, apartments, non-residential premises to maintain the proper temperature. |
The list of what is included in utilities depends on the level of comfort of the house. If a sewerage system is not installed in a residential premises, then it should not be counted as a utility service.
Housing services
Any consumer, studying receipts for accommodation, pays attention to consumable items related to general household needs. This housing services. What is included in the utility costs for this area? What does the consumer pay for? Residents of apartments, unlike residents of private houses, pay the following expenses arising from the maintenance of property that is public:
- Lighting, maintenance optimal temperature according to legal rules.
- Cleaning, cleaning, creating sanitation for public areas and areas within the house.
- Costs of waste discharge and transportation (solid, liquid). Organizations and entrepreneurs located in a residential building are also required to pay these expenses.
- Fire safety.
- Maintenance with landscaping and landscaping land plot, which is part of the property of the house.
- Repair costs (capital and current).
- Activities to prepare for seasonal use of the house.
- Costs of maintaining public property.
- Inspection activities common areas.
About the provision of utility serviceson power supply
According to the rules that came into force back in 2012, the changes affected the order of power supply. In some cases, enterprises that supply electricity to homes may be executors of utility services. What is included in electricity utilities?
Firstly, resource supplying organizations are not obliged to maintain the internal electrical system and are not responsible for the level of its quality inside the house. Secondly, they are responsible only for the proper provision of services up to the boundaries separating the elements of the system.
The new requirements include the right of the consumer to take readings every month from the 23rd to the 25th and transfer them to the energy sales organization by the 26th of the same month. If the data has not been received, Energosbyt has the right to calculate the volume of consumption according to the standards. The consumer must give Energosbyt representatives the opportunity to check the condition of the devices and the accuracy of the data.
Everyone knows that touching seals, removing meters, interfering with their operation so that the meter does not “wind” is prohibited. Such actions will lead to the fact that the payment will increase significantly: they will charge “kulibin” taking into account the power of the devices for their round-the-clock operation for all residents.
The changes also affected the procedure for calculating the volume of provided household electricity. It is paid separately as part of the CU, monthly. So, if you are on vacation, do not live in an apartment, or are absent for other reasons, then you are still required to pay for the general household electricity consumption during this time. The volume of common house utilities is calculated and divided among residents, taking into account the space occupied by each. In the absence of a common house meter, the calculation is made on the basis of standards. They are different for each region, but are developed according to a general methodology. In addition, the organization that supplies light has the right to turn it off for a tenant who is in debt for three months of consumption. The absence of a counter will not play any role in this case.
New standards
In 2013, changes were approved regarding the rules for the provision of corporate governance. What is included in the concept of "utility fees"? How is it calculated under the new rules? Payment for utilities (except for heating) is divided into personal and general house and is signed separately on the receipt.
The innovations also affected standard coefficients. They must “motivate” the population apartment buildings install individual meters. For those who have the technical ability to supply devices that keep house-wide and individual records, but have not done so, increased standards have been introduced for all types of utilities. For example, after the new year, payment increased by 10%, six months later - by another 10%, and so on until the excess reaches 60%! As a result, those who do not install meters will have to pay in two years 60% more than those who did.
The advantage in this situation is that this overpayment for the utilities should be spent by the management organization on energy saving and increasing the efficiency of power systems. A question arises regarding the president’s demand not to allow the cost of corporate capital to increase above 6% per year. How will this instruction be implemented for those living in apartments and houses without meters?
Payment procedure for communal housing utilities
The new Rules for the provision of utility services contain a modified formula for calculating heating standards. In the old version, the total consumption of thermal energy was divided into the total squares of premises (residential + non-residential + public). In the new version, they are divided into total squares of residential and non-residential premises no common areas. Thus, the standard has increased.
I am glad that residents have been waived from paying for common heating costs. Now residents will not have to pay for heating the entrance where there are no radiators. Water management and drainage systems have also been excluded from general house standards: you will not have to pay for the drainage of water that was used to water the lawns. General house metering of hot and cold water The new rules for the provision of utility services propose to calculate taking into account the norms: 90 liters per person per month.
Organizations managing utility companies are now motivated to reduce general house losses. The volume of services provided must be within the standard; if it is still exceeded, then the difference is paid by the management company itself, and not by consumers. The exception is houses where at a meeting of owners it was decided to divide the excess between residents. If the CG performer is not a company, but a resource supplier, then the difference is divided between consumers, taking into account the space they own.
How to establish the fact of improper provision of CG?
What to do if there are no light bulbs in the entrance for several days or the window panes are broken? If the CG is provided of poor quality, and there is no way to call the contractor or he does not respond, then the consumer can establish the fact of a violation of his rights. The tenant draws up an act with the participation of two neighbors and the chairman of the HOA (house council). The period of improper provision of corporate governance will be counted from the moment the act is signed (an example is given below).
| Act about improper provision of public services |
| 02/28/2015 city Vereshchagino, st. Pochtovaya, building 34, apt. 2 start of compilation "10-30" end of compilation “11-00” Prepared by a commission consisting of: Chairman of the HOA Petrov S.S., apt. No. 25. Members of the commission: Maslyakov A.D., apt. No. 36. Starkova T.I., apt. No. 40. This act was drawn up in connection with the improper provision of heat supply services, leakage heating pipes. Compiled on September 3, 2014. The report states that the system is in working order. During visual inspection A pipe and radiator leak was discovered in the second entrance on the third floor. Conclusion: the violation is due to wear on the radiator. The commission decided on the need to offset the amounts contributed for the repair of the heating system. |
What to do if utility services do not organize cleaning for months local area or do not carry out renovation work in the hallways? After all, these are also utilities. What is included in measures to protect the rights of tenants?
- Preparation of a collective claim with the full name, address and signature of all residents addressed to the management company. The main requirement is to eliminate service deficiencies within a reasonable period.
- Personal and written appeal to the Housing and Communal Services Department of the city or district. List in writing the shortcomings in the provision of utility services and ask to take measures to eliminate them, and to bring those responsible to justice.
- If the first and second steps do not produce results, file a claim in court.
Contract for the provision of utilities
CG are provided under a paid written agreement with provisions on the procedure for their provision according to the new rules. It must take into account the provisions of the Rules and contain the necessary conditions regulating public services. What is included in the contract, what is the procedure for its conclusion?
The organization providing CG has the right to conclude a written agreement if the tenant is already using CG or intends to consume them. An agreement with provisions for the provision of services when these actions are performed by the consumer is considered concluded. The rules establish a period within which the contractor must provide services and demand payment.
For any form of ownership, the management organization must provide the necessary utilities and cannot refuse residents to include in their contractual obligations the provision of services that the level of home improvement allows.
For employers and tenants, a rental or lease agreement is drawn up. If a written contract does not comply with these innovations, then it is still considered that it was concluded in accordance with the new requirements and taking into account all their conditions. If the consumer does not have a contract on paper, the management organization or supplier does not have the right to refuse to provide services to him.
Six ways to reduce your rent
How to find out what is included in public services and where to go to protect your rights? With a few steps you can reduce utility costs and influence utility companies:
- Formally requesting your rates by line item will help you see what your utilities include, what you have to pay for, and what services you're not receiving in full.
- To draw up an act for services not provided within a month, you need to invite an employee of the housing cooperative of your management company to visit you. The act must be prepared by the 20th of the current month.
- Together with a housing cooperative employee (or without him), draw up a claim act. Collect signatures from residents (the more, the better).
- In the first days of the month, submit an application to the housing cooperative for recalculation of payment for the utility bill; the acts must be attached.
- If utility companies refuse to recalculate, file a complaint with the consumer protection department of the region, region, or the city housing and communal services department.
- In addition, the consumer has the right to refuse such services as cleaning staircases.
Conclusion
Innovations in the procedure for providing CG were made to make their receipt simple and transparent. In general, they streamline the relationship between the population and housing and communal services. But there are a number of ambiguities in the new rules. Whether this reform will be effective will become known over time.
Utilities are represented by activities that provide citizens with comfortable living conditions. The list of provided utility services must be reflected in the agreement between residents and housing and communal services, management company, HOA or other responsible body. However, not every person has such a copy of the house, so many people ask the quite logical question of what is the responsibility of the house manager and what exactly needs to be paid for.
With the flow recent years Some changes have been made to Russian legislation regarding the sphere of public utilities. According to government regulations, utility providers can be either entity, or an individual entrepreneur. This person is responsible for acquiring the necessary resources, carrying out the agreed work, and the serviceability of all communication systems.
According to the latest changes, the right to use public services has:
- The owner of an apartment or other residential premises with his family;
- Citizens who received living space from the cooperative;
- Tenants of housing in an apartment building;
- Tenants of apartment building premises.
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Main points
First of all, it should be noted what is included in the list of provided utilities:
| Name of communication | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Cold water supply | 24-hour supply of central or intra-house network in quantity and quality appropriate for household needs. If there is no water supply system, there must be a water supply to the street water pump. |
| Hot water supply | 24-hour supply through the central water supply network. |
| Sewage drainage | Disposal of domestic wastewater through the intra-house and central sewer system. Most of the existing premises of an apartment building are equipped with such systems. |
| Electricity supply | Uninterrupted round-the-clock supply of electricity in sufficient quantities |
| Gas supply | 24-hour supply via the gas supply network. Supply using gas cylinders is acceptable. |
| Heating | Supply of heat energy through centralized networks, as well as heat supply systems with the support of proper temperature regime during the heating season. |
Of course, utilities cannot include an item that does not actually apply to a specific home. For example, if there is no sewerage system or hot water supply, they should not be included in the payment and, accordingly, are not included in the agreement with the management company.
Obligations of management companies and housing and communal services
General household needs that are satisfied by management companies, housing and communal services and other relevant structures are also included in the cost of utilities. Every resident should know what exactly he is paying for and whether he is getting what he is paying for. To utilities general purpose includes:
Additionally, there may be other clauses that are included in the contract individually. If you need to find out exactly what additional utilities these are and what else they include, you can contact the management company or housing and communal services. Often such a need arises from overly vigilant citizens or in cases of unscrupulous performance by governing bodies of their duties.
Current standards
The changes that affected the rules for the provision of utility services include not only the division of responsibilities into items, but also the procedure for calculating and paying for receipts. Not counting heating, payment is divided into a common house payment and individual payment for each apartment owner. Receipts also arrive separately.
Innovations also affected regulatory coefficients. This was done in order to encourage citizens to install individual meters in apartments. The principle turned out to be very simple: for those who have the technical ability to install a meter, but did not do so, an increased standard was introduced for all types of public services. Further, for the same category of the population, the tariff increased every six months by ten percent to a limit of sixty percent. In other words, further refusal to install meters risks an overpayment of sixty percent just two years after such an innovation, which was approved back in 2013.
The only advantage of such a change is the fact that this percentage overpayment is aimed at saving energy and increasing the efficiency of existing systems.
Improper fulfillment of contract terms
If the management company still requires payment in in full from residents, taking into account all the corresponding increases in tariffs, but at the same time fulfills its obligations in bad faith or does not fulfill them at all, then the law provides for certain actions. For example, if garbage is not removed in a timely manner, the surrounding area is not cleaned, there are no lamps in the entrance and windows are broken, then this and other violations must be recorded in an appropriate act. It can be drawn up by any resident of a given building, together with two neighbors and the chairman of the homeowners’ association.
It is worth considering that the reference period for the provision of low-quality utility services will be the date when the act was signed. In case of identified violations and mass discontent of residents, it is necessary to prepare a collective complaint with specific claims. The complaint must contain the last names, first names, patronymics, residential addresses and signatures of each resident participating. Such a document is submitted to the management company or housing and communal services. The complaint should clearly indicate the date by which the tenants demand that the deficiencies be corrected. You must keep a copy of it for yourself.
Next, a similar letter is sent to the Housing and Communal Services Department of the locality with a request to take appropriate measures and bring violators to justice. This is done if the first complaint has no effect. Next, if the second option does not work, you should go to court.
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The abbreviation Housing and Communal Services denotes the entire range of housing and communal services provided to residents of multi-apartment and single-apartment (if an agreement is concluded) buildings.
This complex includes gas, electric, heat, water supply, putting things in order in the basements, on the stairs, in the local area, drainage Wastewater, garbage removal, building maintenance/repair, landscaping, other services in accordance with the contract.
What are the responsibilities of housing and communal services for the provision of housing and communal services and are paid by residents?
Housing and communal services are obliged to:
— inspect common property in order to identify its non-compliance with standards, eliminate identified inconsistencies;
- monitor the lighting of common premises and territory;
— ensure compliance of temperature and humidity in the premises with the standards established by law;
— carry out cleaning of common premises and surrounding areas included in the common property;
— collect and transport liquid/solid waste to collection/storage points;
- keep an eye on fire safety object; 
- take care of plantings and landscaping elements, home maintenance facilities and other objects in the area adjacent to the house;
— carry out all types of home repairs - major and current, prepare the house for seasonal use.
This list can be increased or decreased in accordance with the service agreement that the community of residents enters into with the management company or directly with service providers.
How to read a receipt for payment of housing and communal services, what to pay attention to?
Currently, overestimation of utility bills has become an acute problem. What should you pay attention to when receiving your next receipt?
— The first reason for suspicion should be a short bill, without detailed services. Thus, the entry “general household needs” may include payment for many unproduced services.
— You should carefully check the bill, including contacting the house management, if it exceeds the bill for the previous month. This must be done when there is an increase in tariffs: under the guise of an increase, you may be charged double and triple amounts that do not correspond to the law and the services actually received. 
— Pay attention to the indicated area of the apartment, common areas, number of residents. Residents rarely look at such obvious things in their receipts, which is taken advantage of by housing and communal services providers or unscrupulous ones. A small “increase” in area can become good source"bonuses" for the supplier.
Where to go, what to do if you think the bill is too high?
In this case, the management company becomes the first authority. If you have not received a clear answer or desire to help from her, you need to file a complaint with the Housing Inspectorate. Another authority for seeking justice is the regional tariff commission.
When contacting the Housing Inspectorate, citizens are asked to check the accruals, based on the results of which a recalculation is made if the tariffs turned out to be inflated or the costs were incorrectly calculated. However, the difference will not be returned in cash - it will be included in the payment of new bills.
Contributions for major repairs
Contributions for major repairs are the most controversial item of expenditure on housing and communal services. However, it is enshrined in law, so you will have to pay the bill. If you don’t do this, you will be given a fine, your ability to travel abroad will be limited, litigation etc. 
Now apartment buyers should also be careful. If they buy an apartment with debts for major repairs, then the entire debt will have to be paid to them: the law establishes the transfer of debt together.
Each region sets its own tariffs for major repairs; you need to find out about their amounts from the authorized bodies.
Housing and communal services for the majority of citizens Russian Federation- dark forest. This is completely the wrong approach. Unfortunately, not all housing and communal services workers are conscientious and honest. There are often cases when citizens suffer from their own legal illiteracy.
In Russian legislation, everything is structured in such a way that in order to enjoy your rights, you need to know about them, and also know how to achieve them. Therefore, the legal rights of Russian citizens are often oppressed precisely because of their ignorance. And therefore, Russians overpay for any government services, do not receive the benefits they are entitled to by law, and so on.
How can you protect yourself from such mistakes? It’s very simple: improve your legal education! It's actually not as difficult as it seems. For example, in today’s article we will examine in detail such an important issue as utilities.
Most citizens begin to get nervous at the mere mention of housing and communal services. Indeed, this branch of Russian government agencies has caused a lot of harm to people. And we are talking here not only about huge queues to pay for utilities (this problem has almost been resolved thanks to e-commerce and the ability to pay for anything via the Internet), but also about significant deception of citizens. Surely, almost everyone has encountered a utility bill that turns out to be several times more than necessary.
Indeed, situations still occur when housing and communal services employees (either counting on our inattention, or making mistakes on their own) issue us bills for services that we do not use. There are also frequent cases when utilities are simply not provided without special reasons. This is a direct violation of your civil rights.
Today we will tell readers about what is included in the list of housing and communal services. This knowledge will be useful to you in order to:
- argue for the recalculation of payments for housing and communal services;
- competently draw up a plan for your private house during individual housing construction;
- receive benefits and subsidies to improve your living conditions if you do not use all utilities.
Knowledge of the basic legal framework is very important in a country like Russia. After all, no one will tell you about all your legal rights. Most government officials rely on your lack of education, ignorance, and can simply oppress you and your rights.
After reading our article, you will significantly improve your own legal literacy. This knowledge will likely save you a lot of time and money.
What are "utilities"
The concept of housing and communal services includes providing citizens with basic and necessary for comfortable life benefits. According to the legislation of the Russian Federation, every residential premises must have the means to provide these benefits. Thus, if your apartment or house lacks any of the following objects, then you have the right to express your desire to improve living conditions, and the state will not be able to refuse you. On the contrary, you will be given a subsidy with which you can buy new apartment or private house.
Here is a list of required objects in a residential building:
- shower or bath, as well as a sink (or sink) with a working faucet;
- heating system that works without failure. In this case, any heating electrical appliances are not considered. Thus, if your home or apartment does not have a battery and you use a portable heater that uses electricity, then you are eligible to apply for a subsidy;
- electricity and sockets according to European standard;
- sewerage
Roughly speaking, we can say that the above objects are public services. However, this will not be entirely true. The facilities listed above are a means of providing public services.
What is included in the list of utilities
Despite what was written in previous section, not all housing and communal services are mandatory. Some are considered optional, meaning you can choose one of the two as you wish.
The following services are considered optional:
- hot water supply;
- gas supply.
You can choose either one of these two services, or both at once. Let's give three examples for each case.
- It is logical to register for hot water supply without gas supply if there is nothing in your apartment that works on gas fuel. So if you don't have gas burner in the bathroom, and the stove runs on electricity, you don’t need gas at all.
- Residents who have a gas burner in their bathroom can completely abandon hot water supply in favor of gas. This is a device that allows you to easily and quickly heat water to the required temperature. Unlike a conventional water heater, the burner, firstly, runs on gas, and secondly, heats the water quickly enough so that you use the water supply as if you had a connection. hot water. This method is extremely economical, especially if you did not connect gas meters. Thus, you will only be able to pay for gas and cold water supply. As a rule, the bills in this case are significantly less than in the first situation. This choice becomes even more profitable when a gas stove is installed in your apartment.
- If you have a gas stove, but no gas burner, then you should arrange for both hot water and gas. However, this is an extremely disadvantageous and uneconomical choice. Try to avoid such situations - either completely give up hot water supply by purchasing a burner, or refuse gas stove in favor of electric.
In addition to optional utilities, the law provides a list of mandatory ones that should be in every home. So, the list of mandatory utilities includes:
- cold water supply;
- heating system;
- sewerage;
- electricity.
Thus, if your home lacks one of these amenities, you have the right to write a statement to the prosecutor's office to be compensated for all damage. Receiving housing and communal services from this list is your legal right.
Not every citizen knows exactly what is included in the list of public services. Let's figure out what amenities every person in the Russian Federation can count on in 2019.
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And we will determine how payments are made by users of resources supplied by management companies or HOAs.
Thanks to public services, citizens can count on comfortable living.
And the list of such services is specified in the agreement that was drawn up between the owners of the apartments and the housing and communal services, management company or HOA.
But not everyone has a sample contract on hand, and therefore the question often arises about what exactly the governing body should do and what is worth paying for.
Indeed, often, due to their ignorance of legal norms, citizens do not know about their rights and available benefits. As a result, they overpay.
General aspects
If you know what exactly we are paying for, you can justify the recalculation of payments for housing and communal services, competently draw up plans for a private house when carrying out construction work etc.
Housing and communal services provide 2 types of services – communal and housing. Both of them increase the comfort of people’s lives.
Such companies must ensure uninterrupted provision of amenities. Citizens, in turn, must pay for them on time.
Basic Concepts
Housing and communal services are services that are designed to provide citizens with basic amenities.
If your apartment is not connected to all such communication systems, you can express your wishes to improve conditions to authorized persons of the relevant authorities.
Yes and government agencies they cannot refuse such requests. Mandatory objects in a residential area:
- shower, bath, sink that has a working faucet;
- a heating system that works without interruption (electrical appliances are not taken into account);
- European-style power supply and sockets;
- sewer system.
Who is the obligatory payer?
The obligation to pay fees for the provision of utility services is stated in.
It is indicated when it occurs in a certain circle of people. Must pay:
Only registered persons are charged. The legislation does not provide for accrual to persons who actually live in the apartment.
The exception is cases when consumers wish to pay for services on a voluntary basis. But in this case, it is advisable to conclude an appropriate agreement between such a person and the owner.
If such a device is not available, then the amount is determined based on the standard for resource consumption per resident (or per square meter).
It talks about the obligation of citizens to install common house metering devices (CDMU) in all apartment buildings.
This way you can determine the exact volumes of resource consumption in a particular apartment.
What else could it be
Not every service provided by a management company is mandatory. There are optional ones, when a person can choose one of 2 at his own discretion. These include supplies hot water and gas.
You can also choose both services. Additional services that citizens have the right to choose independently include:
- cable TV;
- radio (if it is not used by residents, then they write a statement about disconnection);
- intercom.
But citizens cannot help but pay for the elevator and garbage chute, since they are located on public territory. It's another matter if they are faulty.
Then a claim is filed in court and relevant evidence of the provision of poor-quality services is provided.
Emerging nuances
Let's look at how utilities are paid by tenants and legal entities.
When paying rent
When a property is rented, an agreement is drawn up between the owner and the tenant. In such a document it is worth specifying who is responsible for paying for utilities.
If there is no such clause in, then all bills for services will be sent to the owner of the apartment.
Therefore, the payment clause in the contract will allow the landlord to protect himself from unscrupulous tenants.
There are 3 possible options:
| Landlords include the cost of housing and communal services in the rent paid by the tenant | The latter will pay the owner, and he will already repay the accrued amounts for the consumption of resources. This method is confidential |
| The tenant pays his own bills | And the owner transfers the amount only for accommodation in accordance with the drawn up contract. Plus - there will be no overpayment. How much a person spends (of the same water), so much will he pay for. And the landlord will thus not have to worry about paying for utilities. This option is convenient if a long rental period is expected. |
| Services are paid for by the tenant, but this is not stated in the agreement | In this situation, the owner should monitor how such an obligation is fulfilled by the tenant of the premises |
