A thousand and one ways to pay utility bills on time - expert advice

The deadline for payment of housing and communal services by apartment owners and tenants is established by the Housing Code - until the 10th day of each month. Specialists from the GU IS Coordination Center have compiled the top main reasons why Muscovites are in no hurry to pay for what they receive.

Modern gadgets will help distracted citizens. In the application on your mobile phone, in a couple of minutes you can set up alerts for the whole year, and at the right time an SMS message will remind you of the upcoming payment. And of course, you need to regularly check your mailbox, in which the current single payment document, the debt single payment document or a notification of debt are waiting in the wings.

Normative base

According to the basic law - the Constitution of the Russian Federation, every Russian citizen receives the right to housing, and compliance with it is obliged to control the state (Article 40).

All major issues related to the procedure for paying for utility services are regulated by the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. Yes, Art. 153 establishes the categories of citizens who are entrusted with the responsibility for making payments:

1. Citizens who have registered ownership of an apartment (house or share in housing).
2. Responsible tenants if the housing is on social rent.
3. Citizens living with the responsible person if he is absent.

The deadlines that must be met when performing the utility payment procedure are set out in Art. 155. In total, 11 articles are devoted to the above-mentioned issues in the RF Housing Code (Section VII).

A number of rules governing the obligations and rights of utility service providers and their recipients are established in PP No. 354 (dated 05/06/2011).

Payment terms for housing and communal services in the capital

The provisions of Moscow Law No. 2 of 2010 “Fundamentals of the housing policy of the city of Moscow” indicate that the deadlines for payment of housing and communal services are set no later than the 10th day of the period that follows the reporting period.

A reservation is made that other time frames may be specified in the agreement between the citizen who has the rights of ownership of residential premises and the organization providing services in the field of housing and communal services.

In fact, the deadline for paying utility bills in Moscow is set by service providers within the 25-30th of each month . This period is needed so that housing and communal services organizations can generate receipts for payment, and citizens can deposit funds.

Payment terms for other regions are shown in the table:

In each specific case, you need to find out the deadlines from the organization providing services in the housing and communal services sector.

Deadlines for payment of utility bills

To independently determine by what date it is necessary to pay for utilities, turn to the Housing Code of the Russian Federation (Article 155). It establishes that residents must receive payment documents every month. They contain all the information regarding the required amount, and indicate the deadlines for making payments on utility bills. If for some reason the document did not reach the recipient at the right time, you can find out all the required information:

1. With a direct visit to the office of the management company. It is permissible to contact the organization providing utility services.
2. Through payment terminals.
3. In the electronic office.

The Housing Code of the Russian Federation defines the following payment terms for the use of utility services. All consumers are supplied with utility services in advance. They are paid by the 10th day of the following month after the month in which these services were received. A different period for paying housing and communal services, according to the law, may be established on the basis of:

1. Agreements between the management company and the residents of an apartment building.
2. Decisions of the general meeting of participants of the HOA (or building cooperative, depending on the form of ownership).

It happens that payment for the received utility services was made on time, but for some reason the information about the payment did not reach the supplier at the right time. In this case, according to the rules of the current housing legislation, a penalty may be charged to the responsible person. Funds may be refunded in future payments. Otherwise, to recalculate the payment made, the consumer will have to contact the supplier or management company.

Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation on payment for consumed utility resources

In the letter, the department explained that calculations for the volume of consumed utility resources are carried out not for a calendar period, that is, not from the first to the last day of the month, but for the billing month: for the period between taking meter readings. The legislation does not provide for fragmentation of meter readings.

Payment for the entire volume of utility resources actually consumed from June 25 to July 25 will be carried out taking into account the new tariff established from July 1st. There is no violation of consumer rights in this situation.

How to take into account legal requirements when paying for heating
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Services you need to pay for

There are different categories of housing in the Russian Federation. Depending on them, a list of services supplied that must be paid is established. If we are talking about apartment buildings with comfortable amenities, then the consumer pays money for the following utilities:

1. Central heating.
2. Gasification.
3. Supply of cold and hot water.
4. Electric Energy.
5. Drainage.

The category of housing services includes the following:

1. Removal of solid household waste.
2. Maintenance and repair of elevator cabins and shafts.
3. Availability of a radio point.
4. Maintenance and repair of intercom and/or locking device.
5. Community antenna.
6. Maintenance and current repairs of common property.
7. Work of management company employees.

For the last 5 years, major repairs of the house have been included in the payment document as housing and communal services. It is also necessary to pay the established funds in a timely manner.

Utility bills are calculated according to meter data (which is submitted monthly by the responsible person to the management company) or basic tariffs for each person living in an apartment or house.

What are the risks of chronic debt for housing and communal services?

Any reasons for non-payment of utilities can lead to real problems for the debtor. As soon as the debt reaches two months, the management organization, without a court decision, has the right to turn off hot water, sewerage or electricity. If the amount of debt exceeds 10 thousand rubles, bailiffs have the right to temporarily restrict the right to leave the country. By a court decision, in order to pay off the debt, they can seize household appliances, seize a car and real estate, bank accounts and securities. The tenant of a residential premises under a social tenancy agreement faces eviction from the residential premises at the rate of six square meters per person.

Information about housing and communal services, payment and recalculation rules can be obtained in the “City Advisor” section on the mos.ru website.

Where can I pay for housing and communal services?

With the widespread spread of Internetization, the number of payment methods has increased significantly. Now the responsible person can choose how he will deposit the money:

1. Pay in cash.
2. Use a credit or debit bank card.
3. Make a transfer from an electronic wallet.

Let's consider in what ways and when you need to pay for housing and communal services:

1. Depositing funds through a bank cash desk. This is the classic way. It has a couple of disadvantages: there are long queues at the bank, and utility payments are accepted only on weekdays. To carry out the procedure, you must present the receipt and funds to the cashier.
2. Using a payment terminal. They are located in financial institutions, shopping centers and other organizations. To carry out the operation, you need cash or a plastic card, depending on the type of terminal.
3. Using interactive applications installed on a phone, iPhone, tablet, laptop, etc. For example, Sberbank Online or MTS “Easy Payment”.
4. Through the post office. If payment is made in cash, a fee will apply. If using a bank card, then they will not charge interest from Sberbank clients.
5. On the State Services portal - relevant for those who have opened a personal account. Payment can be made by electronic money or by bank card, which means there is no commission fee.

In most settlements there are also organizations that provide services for accepting all kinds of payments (not only for housing and communal services). Operating rules vary, but usually payment is made to a personal account in cash. Less often - with a bank card.

When do you need to pay utility bills?

The method chosen to pay for services in the housing and communal services sector affects the time at which funds are credited to the account with the resource supply company.

As a result, the homeowner deposits money within the established time frame, although the deposit date will be later.

The citizen will have to pay penalties for several days of delay . For this reason, it is recommended that you fund your account a few days before the end of the payment period.

Important! The payment can be considered executed only if funds have been credited.

Delay and penalty

According to the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, failure to fulfill the terms of the contract, such as late payment, leads to the accrual of a penalty. Apartment owners do not pay fines, but they do pay penalties. They are calculated according to the following schemes:

1. If the delay in required payments is less than 90 days, then the amount of the penalty is 1/300 of the Central Bank rate (the amount is taken for the period of delay) for each overdue day.
2. When the period of delay exceeds 90 days, the calculation of penalties begins based on 1/130 of the Central Bank rate.

According to civil law, the amount of the penalty does not exceed the amount of the existing debt. The maximum defined for it is 50%. For example, with an existing debt of 10 thousand rubles. more than 5 thousand rubles. no penalty can be charged.

Those who cannot independently determine the amount of the penalty for utility bills should resort to the help of an online calculator.

It is advisable not to accumulate debts, otherwise this is fraught with prosecution at the initiative of utility services.

The Civil Code of the Russian Federation establishes that the accrual of penalties begins from the first day of delay, unless otherwise specified by the terms of the contract with the management company or supplier.

For example, in a number of regions there is a common rule according to which the accrual of penalties is possible only after receiving the relevant notification, and not by default

Retention period for utility bills

At the moment, there is not a single regulatory act that would indicate the period during which it is necessary to retain documents on payments made. Therefore, based on judicial practice, they rely on the statute of limitations in civil cases. And he, according to Art. 196 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, is determined for a period of 3 years. If there are special circumstances, the period is extended.

During this entire time, the interested party has the right to demand a recalculation of the payments made. You should not be lax about the issue of storage. If the management company makes a claim for non-payment, it will be difficult to prove the payment made without receipts; you may have to pay the amount again.