How to check whether rent is calculated correctly. “On checking the correctness of charging fees for housing and communal services in the EPD

The most reliable way to check payment for housing and communal services can be considered a check at the address. The same cannot be said, of course, about the convenience of this option. After all, to do this you will have to go to the housing maintenance office and stand in a long line of the same people who want to verify payment for services. If you have unlimited time or do not trust Internet services, then this housing office service is ideal for you.

When visiting the housing office, you will only need to provide its employees with information about the consumer, in particular his exact address. The entire payment history for the period of interest will be found at this address. You can also find out your current tariff, for example, for water supply or gas consumption. If necessary, you will be given a receipt for the current period, and you can make a payment to the housing office employees there.

It should also be taken into account that all information about payments made, penalties imposed and violations is initially sent to the Housing Office. And only after that all data is entered into the database on the sites. Therefore, although this method is not very convenient and fast, it provides verified and up-to-date information.

Check payment for housing and communal services on your personal account

The use of residential premises owned by citizens under the right of ownership or under social tenancy gives rise to the obligation to pay utility bills in a timely manner and in full. Their composition may vary for certain categories of citizens or types of real estate.

In the material presented, you can learn how to calculate the correctness of housing and communal services accruals, and where you can turn if you identify errors in calculating payments.

What is included in utility bills?

Utility bills will not vary significantly depending on the following factors:

• conditions of use of residential premises - property or social rent;
• type of living space - apartment, a private house etc.;
• level of amenities.

The composition of utility payments is determined by the enterprise providing these services to property owners, taking into account the rules established at the federal, regional or local level. In some cases, the composition of utilities will be determined by the homeowners themselves, when they select a management company and conclude an agreement with it for the maintenance of an apartment building.

The list of utilities includes:

• payments for water supply and sanitation;
• payment for consumed electrical energy;
• payments for thermal energy and hot water supply;
• payment for the use of liquefied or natural gas;
• payment for maintenance services common property apartment building and local area.

Additional payments not directly related to utility bills include contributions for major renovation houses and rent for living quarters.

Important! As a rule, one organization will be in charge of charging all utilities - a settlement center or Management Company. Resource supply organizations enter into agreements with these companies on a reimbursable basis, paying at their own expense a certain percentage for collecting payments.

All charges for utility services are included in the payment document - a receipt. It can be uniform for the payer, or issued in the form of separate forms for each type of utility service.

What do you need to know for the calculation?

To check the correctness of the rent calculation, you need to know the main indicators that are used for calculation:

• total and living area of ​​the apartment;
• the number of actually living citizens;
• tariff for each type of utility services approved by the authorized body;
• standard for calculating resource consumption if meters are not installed in the apartment;
• a list of benefits established by authorities for certain categories of citizens.

All of the above indicators must be indicated in receipts that are sent to citizens at the end of the billing month. Information about tariffs, benefits and standards can be found on the official resources of local authorities, as well as in the management company or housing office.

With this information, you can independently calculate the correctness of payments. This task will be much easier if the apartment has officially installed meters for hot and cold water, as well as electricity and gas supply.

Checking the correctness of accrued rent amounts will vary depending on the specific type of service:

• when paying for consumed electricity, the meter readings are multiplied by the value of one kilowatt;
• for hot water supply and thermal energy in the presence of meters - according to the meter indicators multiplied by the approved tariff;
• for hot water supply and thermal energy in the absence of meters - according to federal standards, multiplied by the approved tariff;
• for cold water supply and sanitation - in a similar manner;
• for the consumption of liquefied or natural gas - according to metering devices, multiplied by the tariff.

Important! In the absence of metering devices, standard indicators are used taking into account the number of residents and the area of ​​living space. In this case, the amount of payments will be much higher than when using meters.

If payments are calculated incorrectly, citizens have the right to apply for recalculation. If payment was made based on erroneous receipts, you can request a refund of the funds paid or their accounting in the following months.

Where to go?

Who controls the correctness of rent calculations, and where can one turn if citizens’ rights are violated? Most simple option there will be an appeal directly to the housing and communal services enterprise or management company that made the accruals. In this case, the conflict can be resolved by checking the calculation and making the necessary adjustments.

If the housing and communal services company or officials of the management company refuse to recalculate and insist that they are right, residents can contact the following authorities:

• State Housing Inspectorate - on any issues related to the improper provision of utility services and the correctness of calculations;
• to the Tariffs and Prices Department - to clarify controversial issues in the process of using individual tariffs;
• to the Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation - to take response measures in case of violation of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens in the housing and communal services sector.

In addition, if the increase in tariffs is due to the failure to provide a number of utility services, you will need to contact the Rospotrebnadzor service. These institutions will help draw up a report on the inadequate quality of services (for example, low thermal fluid levels).

Contacting the State Housing Inspectorate is the most effective way achieve recalculation of payments. When establishing a violation of the rights of citizens in the housing and communal services sector, housing inspection authorities have the right to issue mandatory orders. If three or more orders are not eliminated, the housing and communal services company faces not only a fine, but also revocation of its license.

The prosecutor's office, on the basis of a citizen's application, has the right to conduct an inspection and seize any documentation from a housing and communal services enterprise. If violations are detected, a notice will be issued that is subject to mandatory execution. officials and housing and communal services enterprises.

Sample application

• grounds for living in a residential building (social tenancy agreement, certificate of title, extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate);
• information about the housing and communal services company or management company providing utilities and payments;
• data from payment receipts that the citizen received;
• the grounds on which the citizen considers the calculation to be incorrect.

Any application from citizens received by the authorized bodies is subject to consideration within a period not exceeding 30 days. Currently, in most regions and settlements It is allowed to send applications and complaints in electronic form.

To check the correctness of your utility bills, we recommend that you seek advice from our specialists. We have experience in successfully challenging unlawful actions in the housing and communal services sector and will help you draw up documents of any complexity. To do this, simply call the numbers listed on our website or fill out the online feedback form.

ATTENTION! Due to latest changes due to legislation, the information in the article may be out of date! Our lawyer will advise you free of charge - write in the form below.

Housing and communal services / Tariffs for housing and communal services

Payment of utilities is a serious and constant line of any family budget. How to determine that an error has crept into your payment slip and you are overpaying? The State Housing Inspectorate of the Moscow Region tried to collect useful, practical tips on saving on utility costs.

Payment of utilities: instructions for action

Before we talk about the main errors in calculating payments, we will give short instructions for action. It will work in all of the following cases.

So, if there is reason to believe that you are overpaying for services, the first thing you need to do is contact the management company. They are obliged to check the correctness of the accruals directly upon the consumer’s request and immediately, based on the results of the check, issue documents with correctly accrued payments. At your request, they must be certified by the manager’s signature and seal.

If you contact the management organization in writing, it is obliged to give a written response within three working days whether your request will be satisfied or not and, in the latter case, explain the reasons for the refusal.

In practice, if errors are discovered in accruals, companies almost always strive to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. If the company ignores the recalculation requirement, feel free to contact the State Housing Inspectorate, fortunately, all supporting documents will be in your hands.

Utilities: tariff for maintenance and repair of common property

If the house is operated by a management company, the amount of fees for maintenance and repairs is established taking into account the proposals of the management company for a period of at least one year. If the fee increases repeatedly during the year, this is an alarming call and a reason to understand the situation. If the house has an HOA or housing cooperative, the amount of this fee is determined by the governing bodies in accordance with the charter.

Who sets the fees for additional services?

The provision of additional services - the work of a concierge, security of entrances or collective parking lots, the use of an intercom - and the amount of payment for them is the “diocese” of the general meeting of owners. Without a decision of the general meeting, additional lines cannot appear or change. After the decision of the general meeting, an agreement is concluded. If you do not agree with the decision of the meeting, you have the right to go to court.

Where can I check utility rates?

You can check tariffs for utility services on the website of the regional committee on prices and tariffs or using a special service of the Federal Tariff Service.

Revision of tariffs for utility services is possible no more than once a year (except for cases when orders from supervisory authorities or court decisions are issued).

It also doesn’t hurt to check the number of residents and the square footage of the apartment indicated on your payment slip. If the data does not correspond to reality, provide the organization that makes the accruals with an extract from the house register and a certificate of ownership for correction.

How to transmit meter readings?

If metering devices are installed and put into operation, you pay only for actual consumption (including for general household needs). It is necessary to take and transmit apartment meter readings in a timely manner.

There are different ways to do this: on the websites of the management company or resource supply organization, including through personal accounts, using special forms for transmitting readings (tear-off spine on a single payment document), through a payment terminal, client office, etc. You also need to check the data with your receipt: are the numbers indicated accurately and are the calculations according to the standard?

How is the heating utility fee calculated if there are common house meters?

One of the most common errors in charges is calculating heating fees according to the standard, without taking into account the readings of common house meters. Remember, in the first year after installing a collective meter, the fee continues to be charged according to the standard, then it is calculated based on the average consumption of the previous year according to the readings of common house metering devices. In this case, once a year the fee must be adjusted based on the actual volume of resource consumption.

How are utilities paid if there are no meters?

In this case, calculations follow the standards. They are higher than the actual cost, so you have to pay more. And from January 1, 2015, standards for the consumption of utility services approved by the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services of the Moscow Region will come into force. In houses built before 1999, the standards will increase. But in new buildings, the standard for heat consumption will decrease so much that the total payment for housing and communal services will decrease, even despite the increase in the standard for consumption of other resources.

In addition, it is important to remember that since 2015, the Russian government intends to encourage citizens to install metering devices, gradually increasing the standards to 1.6 times (since 2017).

There is only one conclusion: meters for electricity, gas, hot and cold water must be installed before the end of 2014. And be sure to check the availability of common house meters.

Who installs and pays for the installation of common house meters?

According to the federal law on energy conservation, their installation is mandatory. Since these meters will be part of the common property, payment for work and equipment is divided among all owners of premises in apartment building. The decision to install meters and collect the required amount is made at a general meeting of owners. Resource supply organizations must equip homes with metering devices.

How is the payment for hot water calculated in houses with an individual heating point?

In houses with an individual heating point (boiler room), payment for heat is charged according to general rules, however, the payment procedure for hot water is changing. If the bills of residents of houses with centralized heat and water supply have the line “hot water supply”, then houses with their own boiler room do not have it. Instead, the hot water charge consists of two items: cold water supply for hot water supply (CW for DHW) and water heating.

What errors occur when calculating fees for general house needs?

There are frequent cases of overestimation of the volumes of electricity, hot and cold water provided for general house needs. In addition, the management company does not have the right to issue bills for heating for common house needs (this was not initially provided) and sewerage for common house needs (the fee has been abolished by the Government of the Russian Federation since June 2013).

How to recalculate utility bills due to the temporary absence of consumers in the apartment?

If the apartment does not individual devices metering, then if the consumer is absent for more than five full calendar days in a row, you can request a recalculation for cold and hot water, water disposal (sewerage), gas and electricity supply. You will only have to pay for heating and gas supply for heating residential premises, as well as utilities for general house needs.

Recalculation is carried out within 30 days after the end of the period of temporary absence. Applications for recalculation are sent to the management organization. The application shall indicate the last name, first name and patronymic of each temporarily absent consumer, the start day and the end day of the period of his temporary absence from the residential premises. Documents confirming the consumer’s temporary absence are attached to the recalculation application. This could be, for example, tickets, hotel bills, a certificate from a sanatorium, a travel certificate, etc.

How to achieve a recalculation of utility bills if the service is provided of poor quality or intermittently?

Payments for utility services are reduced until they are completely waived if you receive services of inadequate quality (temperature hot water or indoor air is below normal, etc.) or services are provided with interruptions longer than the established period.

Requirements for the quality of public services and the permissible duration of breaks are contained in Appendix 1 to the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 of 05/06/2011.

For example, payment for cold and hot water supply is recalculated if there is no service for more than 4 hours. Recalculation is also made if the hot water temperature deviates from the standard (60 -75 degrees) by more than 3 degrees during the day and 5 degrees at night.

Be sure to know: the fact of providing a poor-quality service must be confirmed by a consumer’s application to the emergency dispatch service, recorded in the registration log, and an inspection report.

If an accident occurs in a house, as a result of which the provision of services was stopped for a period longer than established, the management company is obliged to automatically recalculate the entire house. If this does not happen, you need to apply to the management company. If she does not recalculate, the citizen has the right to file a complaint with the State Housing Inspectorate.

What to do if two utility bills arrive?

This situation may arise if citizens have chosen a new management company or created an HOA, and the previous organization does not want to give up the house. Or citizens re-elected the Criminal Code, but in violation of the procedure, while new company starts issuing invoices, although the previous one should do it. Outright fraudulent schemes are also possible.

At the same time, not paying anyone is not an option. For non-payment of utilities for a long time, the house can simply be turned off. What to do?

The first step: contact your local administration for clarification. Second: in order to issue you utility bills, the management company is required to enter into an agreement with the resource supply organization. And, of course, the resource supplying organization has the right to enter into an agreement for servicing a specific house with only one management organization. Therefore, a call to resource officers will answer the question of who to pay.

At the same time, you have the right to write an appeal, in electronic form, to the State Housing Inspectorate of the Moscow Region and the prosecutor's office. They will always be able to check the legitimacy of management organizations and evaluate which one is acting legally.

Payments for utilities using a single payment document through the EIRC

To ensure transparency in the activities of management companies, the regional government decided to switch to settlements using a single payment system through a single information and settlement center.

The form of a single payment has been approved by the regional government. It indicates mandatory and additional payments accepted by the general meeting of owners, volumes of services consumed, including for general house needs, amounts of accrued and received money, information on recalculations, data on utility service providers. This was done so that residents understand how much and what they pay for.

The unified information and settlement center (MosoblEIRTS) was created on the basis of Mosenergosbyt OJSC, its founders include the regional government. For any questions, you can contact hotline EIRC: 8-800-555-07-69.

Payments to the EIRC are “split” automatically and in a targeted manner go to resource suppliers, without ending up in the pockets of unscrupulous building managers.

Payment of utilities through the EIRC: what happens to benefits? Is an additional agreement needed?

Residents do not need to enter into an additional agreement with the EIRC. The center operates within the framework of the execution of an agency agreement with management companies and resource supply organizations. Re-registration of benefits is also not required.

How can you save resources?

You can save on utility bills by reducing resource consumption. In particular, heat loss is reduced by insulating interpanel seams, installing modern windows and heating radiators, placing heat-reflecting screens behind radiators, and glazing balconies and loggias.

To save on electricity bills, you should switch to a two-rate “day-night” tariff, replace conventional incandescent lamps with energy-saving ones, use electrical appliances with an energy efficiency class of at least “A” and do not place the refrigerator next to the radiator and stove.

In addition, you should not neglect simple measures: turn on not all, but only the necessary lamps, disconnect devices from the network instead of “putting them to sleep,” repair water taps, etc.

Expenses for housing and communal services make up a significant part of the budget of citizens.

Due to the fact that the housing and communal services sector still provides an opportunity for unscrupulous management organizations to abuse, apartment owners and tenants need to be prepared to protect their financial interests.

Dear readers! Our articles talk about typical ways to resolve legal issues, but each case is unique.

If you want to know how to solve exactly your problem - contact the online consultant form on the right or call the numbers below. It's fast and free!

The legislative framework

To calculate the costs of housing and communal services, knowledge of the norms of both federal and regional legislation is required.

Fundamental rules regarding the determination of the amount of housing payments are contained in Articles 156–157 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation.

These articles establish the principles for determining and the procedure for calculating the amount of fees for the use of residential premises, fees for the maintenance and repair of residential premises, as well as the amount of fees for utilities, as well as:

• The amount of funds contributed by residents for the maintenance of apartment buildings should allow maintaining the proper condition of common property;
• Arbitrary increase in tariffs is not allowed;
• Subsidies may be provided for citizens' expenses for housing and communal services..

Housing legislation imposes an obligation on the owners and users of residential real estate to finance the maintenance of an apartment building (MCD) and the common property located on its territory.

It is necessary to jointly pay for the resources used for these purposes (water, electricity), and apartment owners and tenants must compensate for the individual use of housing and communal services.

Persons who own apartments in apartment buildings are required to invest funds for major repairs of the house, and citizens living in the premises on the basis of a social tenancy agreement make payments for rental housing to the budget of the relevant municipality.

The size of this contribution depends on the quality characteristics of the housing provided for use.

How to check whether rent is calculated correctly and where to go?

Situations often arise when the owner discovers in the receipt for payment of housing and communal services (HCS) any inaccuracies or errors that lead to a distortion of the amount to be paid.

Errors in receipts for payment of utility bills can arise as a result of technical errors and as a result of deliberate actions of the management organization.

How to check housing and communal services accruals?

To avoid unreasonable overpayments, you need to carefully check the information contained in payment documents:

• Compliance with actual information on the number of residents and the area of ​​residential real estate;
• Justification for changes in consumption standards and tariffs for services;
• Adding new items to the payment order;
• Charging for services not provided.

Each payer can today check the debt for housing and communal services, clarify the accrued amounts and also be aware of changes in tariffs.

The correctness of the charges in the payment document can be checked using the special Internet service “Utility payment calculator for citizens of the Russian Federation”, posted on the website Federal service according to tariffs.

At the moment, the powers of this body have been transferred to the Federal Antimonopoly Service.

This software product is an aggregator of links to regional calculators and allows you to obtain a calculation based on specific data about the residential premises entered by the user.

Where to go if utility bills are calculated incorrectly?

If you have any doubts about the correctness of charges for utilities and housing services a citizen has the right to seek clarification, which, in turn, is obliged, on the basis of Article 10 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, to ensure unhindered access to information about all payments.

The standards for the disclosure of this information are established by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated September 23, 2010 No. 731.

Information is provided to an unlimited number of persons based on written and electronic requests. The period for consideration of the request is 10 days.

The application must state the essence of the issue and request that the correctness of the accruals be verified; it should also indicate:

1. Name of the management organization;
2. Last name, first name and patronymic of the service consumer;
3. The address to which the response should be sent.

We invite you to download a sample application to the management company in order to verify the correctness of the accruals made and obtain information: Download the form.

If a substantive response is not received from the management company or the result of consideration of the appeal does not satisfy the applicant, you can file a complaint with the regulatory authorities:

• Housing inspection;
• Prosecutor's office.

Housing legislation provides for the obligation to reduce fees for housing and communal services in case of poor-quality provision of services or provision of such services intermittently.

If a change in the amount of payments has not been made, it is necessary to record the fact of the provision of low-quality services in a special act and draw up an application for recalculation of fees for utility services.

Management company is one of the forms of house management. They often carry out their activities in bad faith, so you need to understand the possible measures of influence on them. One of the most obvious violations they commit is dishonest calculation of utility bills.

An organization that monitors the accuracy of utility bills.

The main organization that controls the full range of all housing legal relations is the housing inspection.

She has the right:

1. Check that utility bills are calculated correctly.
2. Punish those responsible for incorrect calculations.
3. Submit a petition to the court to liquidate the management organization, etc.

Of course, the management company itself (hereinafter we can call it for short “MC”) must clearly and correctly carry out its activities in calculating payments for residents of an apartment building. In case of unreasonably inflated tariffs, the management company may be subject to penalties.

Another control body can be recognized as FAS - the Federal Antimonopoly Service. It regulates the market for goods and services and prevents the establishment of any criminal code in the market.

How to find out where to check whether the rent has been calculated correctly, what to look for

Of course, not all management companies conscientiously approach the performance of their duties. Therefore, a citizen must periodically check the correctness of the calculation of rent for housing and communal services.

The first thing the consumer should do is check the receipt itself, since everything is written down on it. The readings indicated in the receipt must be checked with the readings of metering devices located at the entrance of an apartment building or directly in the apartment. Reliable readings are not always provided there.

You can independently establish the legality of payments by sending an application to the management company with a request to provide documents regulating the authenticity of the payment, the payment procedure, etc.

How to check housing and communal services receipts online

To make it easier for the consumer to receive information about the services provided, on the websites of housing and communal inspections and management organizations it is possible to view the correctness of calculations and reconciliation of receipts.

To do this, you must indicate the region of residence, the specific house and the full name of the resident. After this, all necessary information will be provided to the consumer electronically. If necessary, at the request of a citizen, information can be provided on printed media.

Illegal issuance of receipts for housing and communal services payments - what is the responsibility

Main regulatory legal acts regulating the activities of management companies are the Decrees of the Government of the Russian Federation. Housing and communal services will be subject to quite serious penalties for incorrect assignment of utility payments. Unlawfully high rents cause significant damage to the population. That is why, at the legislative level, disputes do not subside over the fact that it is time to completely eliminate management companies, namely their intermediary activities, between the consumer and the utility service provider. It is proposed to introduce a scheme according to which receipts will be generated not by the management company, but directly by the energy supply organization, city water utility, etc.

The legislation of the Russian Federation, including certain government decrees, stipulates that a management company that carries out its activities in bad faith can be brought to two types of liability:

1. Fine.
2. Deprivation of the right to engage in this type of activity (liquidation).

One of the most commonly used types of punishment is a fine. It is paid by the Criminal Code regardless of whether they paid compensation to the citizen himself.

The law establishes that the Criminal Code is obliged to pay to the state revenue fifty percent of the amount excessively accrued to the citizen. So, for example, if the management company wrote in the payment slip 500 rubles more than required, then it is obliged to pay 250 rubles from one receipt.

Where to complain, algorithm of actions

After it has been revealed that the receipt is filled out incorrectly and the rent is charged, the citizen has the right to receive explanations from the management organization and if they do not satisfy the consumer, then he has the right to appeal such an unreliable receipt.

A complaint to the supervisory authority in 2019 in Moscow and other regions of the Russian Federation is submitted in the manner and according to the rules provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation. Bodies exercising control over issues of incorrect accrual:

• Prosecutor's Office of the Russian Federation;
• housing inspection;

It is to these authorities that a complaint can be filed. Another authority is Rospotrebnadzor, but as practice has shown, it is most effective to resolve issues through the courts.

Documents and statement of claim, sample

Any complaint sent to one or another authority must be accompanied by documents proving the consumer’s case. Checking tariffs and meters is carried out precisely according to these documents of the applicant.

If it is possible to find out that payments for housing and communal services are calculated correctly, then the citizen’s complaint is rejected.

The fundamental document preceding the trial is statement of claim. It should include the following elements:

1. Name of the document and address of the court.
2. Indication of the full name or official name of the parties.
3. Description of the essence of the disputed legal relationship.
4. An indication of the evidence base.
5. Date of preparation of the document and signatures of the parties.

Housing and communal services participates in the trial through its official representative. The court has the authority to cancel accrued penalties, award compensation for illegal charges, cancel delays, etc.

The act issued by the court regarding the consideration of the case is called a decision. It is mandatory for execution by both the consumer and the resource organization.

Complaint to the housing inspectorate about incorrect charges, sample

The prosecutor's office is not the only way to influence unscrupulous management companies. A citizen has the right to contact other government agencies, for example, the Housing Inspectorate.

According to the law, you can complain and contact this body either by filing a complaint in person or by using Internet resources. The complaint must indicate the bills and tariff amounts that exist today. All this will serve as evidence of illegal accrual and incorrect calculations.

The complaint in this body is considered in accordance with federal law on the procedure for considering citizens' appeals in the Russian Federation.

How to correctly calculate penalties for late payment of rent

Penalties, in essence, are penalties for unscrupulous citizens who do not want to fulfill their obligations to pay for utilities.

Before accruing penalties, it is necessary to notify the citizen about this. This occurs by sending a written act in the form registered letter. Only after written notification can penalties be assessed. The rules for calculating penalties are regulated not only by internal local acts of management organizations, but also by civil law.

Refund of overpayment for utilities: practical situations

Of course, incorrectly calculated sums of money for utilities entail large overpayments by the population. Checking and seeing water, gas, and electricity meters can really help to timely establish the fact of overpayments and prevent this illegal action.

All receipts must comply with the standards established in a particular entity. Overpayment, as a rule, is returned only through the court.

For example, the Serpukhov Court considered a similar case. The fact of overestimation of tariffs for natural gas consumption was revealed. As a result, there was an overpayment of sixty thousand rubles.

The court, having studied the arguments of the parties, having considered the receipts and previously established tariffs, came to the conclusion that the plaintiff was right. Thus, the management organization was obliged to reimburse this amount of money in full.

Fine for incorrect calculation of utility bills in 2019, who pays whom and to whom

Thus, management companies and other structures involved in charging utility bills can and should be fought. The law provides for many methods of influence, each of which is very effective.