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 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.

And government agencies 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 the supply of 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 trustworthy
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

Regardless of where a person lives: in his own housing construction, in an apartment building or a room in a communal building, he must pay bills not only for living space, but also for services that ensure comfortable living. Utilities are a set of works that help us obtain acceptable living conditions. It's worth taking a closer look at what these fees include.

Basic provisions

In accordance with Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of 05/06/2011, utility services represent the implementation by the service provider of activities to provide consumers with utility resources. This legislative act clearly stipulates what is included in the latter concept.

Utilities, for the supply of which we pay using housing and communal services receipts, are:

• cold water;
• hot water;
• Electric Energy;
• natural gas from gas supply systems or bottled gas;
• thermal energy;
• wastewater inlets (sewage service).

The removal of solid household waste is also considered a public service.

Various specialized utility structures provide services for the supply (or disposal, as in the case of solid waste and wastewater) of resources from this list.

Cold water supply

The supply of cold water includes the maintenance of pumping stations that create pressure in water supply networks, water treatment work, repair of existing networks, construction of new routes - water pipelines to recharge the system, laying larger diameter pipelines, etc.

Water treatment is the first stage of creating a “drinking input” resource. Preparatory work includes a filtration system, where mechanical impurities are removed, as well as chemical water purification. Quality control of cleaning is carried out in laboratory conditions.

Hot water supply and centralized heating

These are two different services provided by one company - heating hot water for hot water supply and coolant supplied to heating devices in apartments of apartment buildings and to the premises of public institutions.

The heating circuit is closed, hot water circulates in it in the following order: the coolant leaves the boiler, where it is heated to the specified parameters depending on the outside air temperature, flows through a pipeline system to consumers, where it gives off heat through heating radiators, and then returns through the return system pipelines to the boiler room, where it is heated again.

Hot water for DHW flows into the internal networks of buildings, hot water supply risers, and then to consumers, where it is disassembled through “hot” taps. The system is fed in the boiler room from cold water supply lines.

The range of work to provide services also includes the maintenance of boiler rooms and their periodic repairs (in the summer, when heating is not required).

Electricity supply

To provide consumers with an uninterrupted mains voltage of 220 V, from which household electrical appliances operate, a range of works is being carried out.

Electricity supply companies service transformer substations (city, regional, etc.) and electric mains of various voltages.

Gas supply

Gas is used for heating (in private houses and apartments with autonomous boilers), hot water supply (in the presence of geysers) and for cooking needs. Enterprises that supply gas to homes service gas pressure control points and gas pipeline routes of various pressure categories.

Wastewater and solid waste removal

These services are different, but have the same principle and meaning. Wastewater is discharged into sewer networks and then, thanks to the work of the pumping station, transported to processing and disposal points. Solid household waste is also centrally transported to city landfills.

Video about paying for utilities

The comfortable life of every person directly depends on the work of public utilities. Therefore, timely payment of housing and communal services receipts is a guarantee of receiving utility services, which is necessary, first of all, for consumers.

The main body involved in providing services is the Management Company, which carries out maintenance of the house. Residents of apartment buildings confirm their cooperation with her by signing an agreement, which specifies the obligations and rights of the parties, fees for the company’s work, and other issues.

The agreement also determines what services are included in the field of activity of the management company. When a significant amount of time passes after the general meeting and signing of the agreement, the residents of the house may forget what is included in utility bills, what they voted for at the OS. It is important for them to know why the payment for the apartment has a certain amount.

Standard list

ATTENTION! Consumers pay for utility services upon completion of the service. The list of services is usually the same for all apartment buildings, as it is related to ensuring proper living conditions.

For apartment residents, the concept of “utilities” includes the supply of water, gas, heat, cleaning of common areas, current and major repairs.

This concept also includes garbage removal, lighting of residential and non-residential premises, maintaining necessary sanitary conditions - these are residential utilities.

• The list may vary slightly due to the region where the apartment building is located, its technical features, and may include some special types of building maintenance work.
• Electricity is a utility service that must be supplied without interruption. And the consumer consumes electricity based on his needs.
• Gas supply must also be provided on a regular basis. In urban areas, gas is supplied using a centralized gas network.
• The rent also includes utilities such as hot and cold water supply. Water is supplied to the apartments around the clock, its volume is equal to the amount necessary to satisfy vital needs. All city apartments are equipped with cold water supply systems, most are also provided with hot water.
• Water supply is related to wastewater disposal. Sewerage systems are installed to remove wastewater.

If you study the list of services included in the utility bill, you will note that all of them are indispensable and are aimed at creating comfortable living conditions in the apartment. The consumer must pay only for those services that he actually receives. If hot water supply is not provided, the payment system should not include payment for it.

To find out what the utility bills for a specific address are made up of, you need to re-read the service agreement with the Management Company and suppliers.

The document must contain a list of services, tariffs for them, and other useful information. The receipt also contains housing and communal services that are necessary to meet general household needs.

They have nothing to do with utility bills for private houses.

Housing services A house cannot do without services that are classified as housing, just as it cannot do without utilities.

• Their list is standard and may be slightly supplemented by local authorities in different regions.
• Residential and non-residential premises in the house must be illuminated, and there is also a requirement for supplying the required air temperature.
• When performing such services, measures are taken to maintain sanitary standards in common areas and in the local area.
• Housing services include the removal of solid and liquid waste.
• Ensuring fire safety is of great importance.
• Provides a range of housing services: excavation work near the house and landscaping. This also includes major repairs of common property, repairs and maintenance of elevators, and repairs of garbage chutes.

Every year, preparations are made for the seasonal operation of a residential building. Regular inspection is also necessary.

Receipt and its components

• The utility bill will have several columns, each of which represents payment for certain services. The consumer pays utility bills:
• Hot and cold water supply.
• Electricity supply.
• Gas supply.
• Water disposal (sewage).
• Heating.
• Major renovation.

House maintenance.

Also included in the receipt are columns with payment for cleaning stairs, cleaning the local area, removing liquid and solid waste, and maintaining internal communications. For the convenience of the consumer, the settlement department of the Management Company combines all these utility payments into one receipt.

If the owner of an apartment or another person paying for utilities is interested in what the payment consists of, he can study all the components of this document.

This document should contain not only the amounts of payment for utilities and housing services, but also information about the owner of the property.

Regarding the payer, his current account, surname, address, area of ​​housing, and the number of people registered on it are reported.

An important column is the service provider, usually the Management Company. Her bank details must be indicated; this is a mandatory requirement for the receipt.

The following columns relate directly to the amount of charges. A final invoice is given indicating the advance payment, debt, and the date of the last payment for utilities. The following are the amounts for the last month for each service. If a recalculation has been made, it must also be indicated on the receipt.

ATTENTION! If there is an agreement with the Management Company on restructuring, there must also be information about it in the payment order.

The table on payments for services is divided into two parts. The first contains amounts for housing maintenance and repairs, the second contains amounts for paying for expended resources.

General transcript

It includes several important parts - the current tariff, the amount of resources that were spent on individual and general needs, and the amount of payment.

The availability of benefits for the consumer is also indicated in the decoding. At the end the total amount is displayed. Indicators for calculating payments for utility services are taken from metering devices. If there are none, the regulated average monthly consumption standards are taken into account.

Meter readings and average monthly consumption rates must be indicated in the background information of the receipt.

Important information is also the amount of resource consumption throughout the house.

Calculation of the amount

To increase the efficiency of utility bill calculations, for more accurate calculations and to eliminate the human factor, special software was developed in the country. It identifies the payment, correlates the calculated data and the actual receipt. Based on this, it determines the presence of overpayment or underpayment for utilities. It is the consumer’s responsibility to transmit meter data in a timely manner; he must be informed of the deadlines for data transmission..

After receiving a receipt for the utility bill, you must pay the rent to the bank by a certain date. In this case, it is important to ensure that the receipt accurately indicates the name of the payer, his address, bank account, and the amount for each column. For the convenience of consumers, payment for utilities is provided through a terminal, the Internet, applications for smartphones, and other gadgets.

Despite the use of computer programs to calculate utility bills, sometimes consumers receive bills with incorrect amounts or for services that they did not receive. Benefits may not be indicated, recalculation in favor of the apartment owner.

IMPORTANT! In order not to overpay for utilities, you should know which utility payments are correct and what services the service company provides.

Payment for utilities is closely related to payment for housing services. It is impossible to receive gas, water, electricity into the apartment and not need services that are related to home maintenance. Most often, both types of services are performed by one contractor and combined in one payment order. But the amount for each service is reflected separately, in different columns.

House management

The Housing Code of Russia obliges citizens to pay for housing and utilities. In this case, the providers of utility services can be legal entities or individual entrepreneurs. They acquire resources, carry out work and are responsible for the serviceability of all intra-house communications.

The following have the right to use public services:

Owners of residential premises with their families;

Persons who received housing from a cooperative organization;

Tenants of premises; persons who have rented an apartment (room).

Public utilities:

Drinking cold water. The supply must be around the clock. Carried out via a central or intra-house network. The volume and quality of water must be at the appropriate level.

Hot water. Must be supplied around the clock through centralized networks for all areas of the house.

Drainage. Sewage disposal should also be carried out around the clock - through centralized networks and in-house systems. Sewage systems should be present in most living areas of the home. If a residential premises does not have a centralized sewerage system, then it should not be taken into account in the list of utilities.

Electricity supply. Electricity in the required volume must also be supplied around the clock, without interruption. However, power outages are recorded on metering devices. Please note that resource supply organizations are not required to maintain networks inside the home. The consumer is obliged to provide the meter data before the date indicated on the receipt. If the data has not been received, then the RSO has the right to calculate the volume of consumption according to the standards in the event that a system has not been installed in which data from metering devices is automatically sent to the organization’s control room.

You will have to pay for general house expenses even if you have not lived in the apartment for some time. The volume of general house services is calculated taking into account the space occupied by each. In the absence of a common house meter, the calculation is made according to the standards. Experts assure that it is very beneficial to have both common and entrance meters at the same time. They allow you to calculate the “left” connections to the general house electrical network. They also make it clear which entrances know how to save money and which ones don’t.

Gas supply. Gas must be supplied around the clock. Gas meters provide real savings and pay for themselves fairly quickly in apartments with a large number of residents.

Heating. Thermal energy must be supplied centrally to houses, apartments and non-residential premises. Residents were deducted from paying for common heating costs. There is no need to pay for heating an entrance where there are no radiators. In 2013, new changes were made that relate to the rules for the provision of utility services. Regulatory coefficients were introduced for those who are in no hurry to install individual metering devices. For such owners, increased standards have been introduced for all types of utilities. Every six months the payment increases. As a result, the excess will reach 60%.

Housing services:

Provision of residential premises for use under a social tenancy agreement or a rental agreement for residential premises of the state or municipal housing stock;

Removal of solid and liquid household waste from apartment buildings.

Housing and utility payments

For employers:

For the use of residential premises (rental fee);

For owners:

For the maintenance and repair of residential premises. Consists of fees for services and work for managing an apartment building. The owner of premises in an apartment building is obliged to bear the costs of maintaining not only the premises he owns, but also the common property in the house: house structures, corridors, staircases, attics and basements, utility networks, elevators and garbage chutes, etc. Article 39 of the RF Housing Code. Moreover, the amount of the amount is determined by the residents themselves at a meeting of the owners of the apartment buildings. This is declared by parts 2 and 4 of Art. 158 Housing Code of the Russian Federation.

The management organization has the right to propose taking into account certain works and costs. Sometimes management companies offer a shortened list of services and work for the maintenance and current repairs of a house for a maximum cost, which is set annually by the local administration. “Missing” services are offered to be paid additionally. This shouldn't happen, of course. The list of house maintenance services and routine repair work is in Rosstroi Decree 170 of September 23, 2003.
Do not confuse the fee for the maintenance and current repairs of the COMMON PROPERTY of the owners of apartment buildings, which is included in the payment, and paid work for minor repairs in your apartment, which are carried out according to your order.

Extra lines

In payment bills, columns with antennas, cable television or Internet, radio, locking device, concierge, parking lot security, and so on periodically appear next to legitimate utilities and housing services. All these services are neither utilities nor housing. It is illegal to include them in a payment order. Such payments should be excluded from the single payment document. Do not allow the management company to include a vague clause in the management agreement about its right to conclude any other agreements. Otherwise, unnecessary services may be imposed on you. All additional decisions are made at the meeting.

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, electricity, heat, water supply, cleaning up basements, stairs, local areas, wastewater disposal, garbage removal, building maintenance/repair, landscaping, and 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;

— monitor the fire safety of the facility;


- 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 be a good source of “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 do not do this, you will be given a fine, your ability to travel abroad will be limited, legal proceedings will be ordered, 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.