How to pay for an apartment: detailed instructions for completing the housing and communal services quest

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How to decipher a payment, pay utility bills without a queue and when to request a recalculation.

How are utility bills calculated?

All payments are divided into three blocks:

1. Maintenance of housing

This includes all the services provided by the management company: repair and maintenance of elevators, cleaning of entrances and adjoining territory, work of a control room, garbage disposal, and so on. Since 2017, the same block has included the costs of utility resources - electricity, water, gas - for general household needs.

The costs of ONE are determined as follows: the management company adds up the resource consumption in each apartment and subtracts the amount from the value shown by the general metering device. The difference is distributed among all owners of residential premises in proportion to the area of apartments.

2. Utilities

This block includes electricity, gas, hot and cold water, heating, sewerage services - all without taking into account the general needs of the house. The consumption of electricity, gas, water is calculated according to the readings of the meters or, if they are not available, according to the standards established by the regional authorities. To determine the volume of sewerage services, add up the indicators of consumed hot and cold water. Heating charges are calculated in accordance with the readings of the common building metering device for heat energy and the floor area of the apartment.

If the contract for the supply of any resource is concluded directly, and not through the management company, you will have to pay separately with the resource supplying organization.

3. Other

Intercom, security services, access to a shared TV antenna, and so on.

When to pay the rent?

According to the LCD of the Russian Federation, the payment for the apartment must be paid no later than the 10th day of the month following the calculated one. This is a universal requirement, unless otherwise noted in the agreement between the owner and the service provider (the exact dates of settlement are indicated in the payment document).

The management company can send a payment for the past month or the current one, this data is in the document.

How to submit meter readings?

On a monthly basis, readings of all utility metering devices installed in the apartment should be submitted to the management company, otherwise the charges will be carried out according to the standards (in each region they are established by local authorities). There are several options for how to do this:

1. In the manner provided by the management company. Put a note with the latest readings in the mailbox at the entrance, enter the readings on the UK website, and so on. Information about how exactly the organization prefers to receive data from residents is usually located on the stand in the entrance.
2. When paying rent by mail.
3. When visiting the clearing center. In each region, this structure is called differently: a single clearing and information center, a unified information and clearing center, a clearing and information center, a regional information center, a city clearing center, and so on. It is sometimes possible to enter the readings of metering devices on the organization's website; you will first have to go through the registration procedure.
4. On the site, which works in the "Gosuslug" system. You can enter the service using the "Gosuslug" login and password. If you do not have them, you need to register on the website and receive a verification code by mail, at one of the service centers or using an electronic signature.

If contracts for the provision of utilities are concluded directly with suppliers, the meter readings should be left directly on the website of the resource supplying organization.

Where can I get a payment and what should be indicated in it?

What does a payment look like?

A single payment document can be called in different ways: receipt, notice, notice, and so on. However, it must contain the following information:

• surname, name, patronymic of the owner of the apartment;
• the postal address of the apartment;
• the name of the contractor of housing and communal services, contacts, his bank account number and details;
• personal account of the owner of the apartment;
• month for which the invoice was issued;
• a list of all the services you pay for;
• indication of tariffs for each service;
• service units;
• the volume of services consumed (by standards or by counters);
• the amount of the final fee for each service;
• the volume of services spent on general household needs, and the amount of payment for them;
• whether the recalculation was carried out and on what grounds;
• information on penalties.

The approximate appearance of the payment was announced by the Ministry of Construction at the beginning of 2017.

The most important information is the TIN of the managing organization and the personal account number of the owner of the apartment. In most cases, they will be needed to pay the rent.

Where to get a payment

You can search for a single payment document:

1. In the mailbox. In the overwhelming majority of cases, the management company, homeowners' association or housing cooperative sends out payments in this way.

2. In the management company with a personal visit.

3. By e-mail, if the management company provides such a service. The request can be left on the website of the organization or directly at its office.

4. At the settlement center or on its website. Such organizations often provide payments in electronic form in the user's personal account.

5. On the website of the State Housing and Communal Services Information System. First, you need to link your personal account to your personal account.

Information about issued invoices can be obtained using the "Learn about debt" button on the main page of the site.

6. Through the federal system "City". If your management company cooperates with the service, the data for entering your personal account can be obtained from its employees. The information you need is in the "Account details" section.

Where to pay for the apartment?

1. At the post office

The classic way: you come to the post office, defend the queue, give the payment and money to the cashier, receive a receipt for payment.

2. Through the clearing center

To pay for housing and communal services, it is enough to come to the cashier of the settlement center with a payment. Here you also need to be ready for the queue.

An option for social phobia is to find out if it is possible to pay for an apartment online through the website of the settlement center. Some institutions provide this opportunity.

3. Through the bank

You can pay in cash or by card at the bank's cash desk. You need a payment, the operator will do the rest for you.

4. Through ATMs and terminals

In terms of payment for utility services, the functionality of ATMs and terminals is similar. You need to look for them in places of high traffic: in shopping centers, shops, gas stations, at metro stations. And of course, the apparatuses installed by banks will definitely show up in the branches of these institutions. It should be borne in mind that some ATMs do not accept cash, and some terminals do not accept cards.

Most often, you can pay through an ATM or terminal of the bank you are a client of, although there are exceptions.

The desired function will be hidden behind the button "Payments", "Payment for services" and so on. Click on it and follow the further instructions of the terminal. In some cases, you will have to enter the name of the management company into the search line, in some - search by TIN. Perhaps the terminal or ATM will offer to find the organization by the barcode from the payment.

To pay for housing and communal services, you need to enter your personal account number, indicate the month for which you pay, and the required amount. The sequence of actions largely depends on which company owns the terminal or ATM, but the algorithm is most often intuitive.

The main thing is to carefully check the numbers that you enter and that the device displays on the screen, so that the payment in the right amount goes to its destination.

5. Through the website of "Gosuslugi"

Log in to the site. In the service catalog, select "Payment for housing and communal services".

Select a service provider from the list.

It is worth noting that the choice of managing organizations on "Gosuslug" is not great, but, perhaps, you will be lucky.

6. Through the State Information System of Housing and Communal Services

Go to your personal account, click on the link "Pay utility bills for any personal account."

Enter all the necessary information in the form that opens and pay.

From your personal account, you can also connect your personal account to your account and next time go to payment directly from the main page.

7. Through the federal system "City"

An automated system for collecting and processing payments from the population for utilities and other services allows you to deposit money for an apartment online. Information about the issued payment will be available in your personal account.

8. Through online banking services

Many banks provide an opportunity to pay for housing and communal services online. To do this, you need to be a client of the institution, the login and password to your personal account can be obtained at any branch of the bank.

For example, in the "Sberbank Online" system, you need to pay for an apartment in the "Transfers and Payments" section. Click on the "Rent" link.

Select the region and then the management company from the list. In order not to flip through the list of organizations, you can enter the TIN from the payment into the search box, the required MC will be selected automatically.

Then dial the personal account number, also indicated in the payment document. Next, a payment form will open, in which the amount to be transferred will be offered. Check if it is correct, sometimes the system contains data for the last month. In this case, enter the numbers manually and pay.

In the Alfa-Bank Alfa-Click system, the actions are approximately the same: click on the “Payment for services” heading, then select the “Utilities” item.

Find your management company or go to the management company search page by TIN.

The algorithm of actions on the websites of different banks is similar, so there shouldn't be any difficulties.

9. Through mobile applications of banks

To get access to payment of utility bills, you need to download the application of your bank and register in it. Find out about the verification conditions on the website of the financial institution. Most often, it is enough to enter the code sent by SMS, but the bank may have additional requirements.

The algorithm of actions is similar to that used in online banks. You need to find the category "Payments" or similar, then select the section "Housing and Utilities" or go directly to the selection of the managing organization.

What will happen if you do not pay the rent?

The legislation provides for several levers to combat unfair payments for housing and communal services.

1. Penalty

There is no fine for the first month of non-payment. Further, penalties are charged for each day of delay, including the day of its repayment: 31-90th day - 1/300 of the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation (now equal to the key rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation and is 7.75%) of the unpaid amount, from the 90th day - 1/130 bet.

The amount of the penalty interest cannot be more than the amount owed.

2. Restriction or termination of the provision of services

According to Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 1498, the service provider may stop providing it if the consumer has accumulated debt in excess of the amount of payments for 2 months. Hot water, gas, electricity and sewerage are subject to shutdown.

Turning off cold water and heating is prohibited by law.

The resource supplying organization shall preliminarily send a notification to the debtor about the upcoming disconnection. This can be a certified letter, a text in a payment, a phone call, an e-mail message - any method in which the receipt of information by the addressee can be recorded. If there was no notification, the owner of the apartment can challenge the actions of the supplier in court.

3. Ban on traveling abroad

Utilities can go to court to collect debts from the defaulter. If the decision is made in favor of the resource supplying organization, the case materials will be transferred to the bailiffs-executors. The FSSP has another lever of influence on the debtor - a ban on traveling abroad. This is possible if the debt has exceeded 30 thousand rubles.

4. Eviction

If the home is not privatized

According to the law, in order to be evicted from housing occupied under a social tenancy agreement, it is enough not to pay utility bills for six months.

A citizen and his family cannot be kicked out into the street, he must be provided with other housing on social rent terms - 6 m² per person.

If the property is owned

It is difficult to evict its owner from the apartment, but it is possible. In this case, the property is put up for public auction. After the sale, some of the money goes to pay off debts and legal fees. The rest is returned to the former owner of the apartment. However, according to the law, this measure can be applied if the disputed property is not the only home of the debtor.

How to recalculate the rent?

There are several cases in which you can recalculate the amount you have to pay for the services provided.

In the event of a long absence of tenants

If you are absent from the apartment for more than 5 calendar days and you can document this (with tickets, a check from the hotel, and so on), then you can contact the management company with an application to recalculate the rent. The changes will affect only utilities - with the exception of heating - if there are no meters in the apartment and they cannot be installed. If there are metering devices, there will be no recalculation.

If the service was not provided

The consumer has the right to demand a recalculation if there were no emergency situations on the networks and communications, but:

• cold or hot water, drainage was absent for more than 4 hours once and more than 8 hours a month in total;
• electricity was not supplied for more than 2 hours with two power supplies and more than 4 - with one;
• heating was absent for more than 24 hours in total, or more than 16 hours if the room temperature was 12–18 ° С, or more than 8 hours at a temperature of 10–12 ° С, or more than 4 hours at 8–10 ° С.

To get a recalculation, you must notify the management company about the lack of service in writing or by phone. The dispatcher should note this in the message log. If the reason for the disconnection is known, you will be told both it and the timeframe for the renewal of the service.

If the managing organization does not know about the reason for the lack of a resource, they must agree with you the time of the visit of the representative of the Criminal Code, who will record that you really do not have water or electricity, and so on. In fact, an act is filled in, which fixes the date and time of the check. If the service is not provided for a long time, you can initiate a second check with the preparation of a second act.

Based on the acts, an application for recalculation is submitted to the Criminal Code.

If the service was provided poorly

Each utility has its own standards:

• cold water should be clear, free of impurities, unpleasant odor;
• the temperature of hot water is normally 60–75 ° С;
• the temperature in the living rooms of the apartment must be at least 18 ° С, in the corner rooms - at least 20 ° С.

If you think that the service is of poor quality, ask the management company to check. If the Criminal Code refuses or does not admit violations, contact the territorial department of the State Housing Inspectorate. Your goal is to receive an act in which the fact of poor-quality service provision will be recorded. On its basis, apply for a recalculation to the management company.