In Ukraine, this year adopted in the first reading new edition of the law “On housing and communal services” (HCS). The document establishes requirements to the quality of utility services, obliges the Ukrainians to provide meter readings, pay fines for the debts and allows suppliers to turn off the light and water of unscrupulous clients. The website “Today” found out what changes are waiting for the Ukrainians after the adoption of the new law on utility services.
Requirements to quality of utilities
New edition of the law “On housing and communal services” describes the requirement and law of condominiums, consumers and service providers. So, utility bills, according to the document, must be supplied continuously. To turn off the water can only repair and maintenance work, to prevent of which at least ten days. As in current law, for each komuslug has its own requirements. For example, the hot water temperature should be between 50-75 degrees, and the water itself must meet the requirements for drinking. If instead of hot water from the tap is warm, you can pay less.
- 50-75 degrees – to pay 100% of the fare
- 45-49 degrees – pay 90%
- 40-44 degrees – pay 70%
- Less than 40 degrees – to pay the tariff on cold water
It should be noted that we are talking about water temperature at the entrance of the house. In the winter if the pipes are not insulated until the water reaches the ninth floor, the temperature can drop to five to seven degrees. Insulate the pipes in the house needs tenants.
Photo: archive
Their demands are and to the Central heating. The temperature in the heated room should be not lower than 18 degrees (in angle – 20 degrees). For every degree below 18 or minus five percent of the amount in the payment. If the temperature in the apartment below 12 degrees, according to the law, to pay for heating no need. However, the Law “On housing and utility services” States: “subject to the exercise by the owner, the owner of the house measures on warming of the premises and common areas”.
If the apartment old Windows that leak heat, require the provider to recalculate the amount in the payment impossible. The law also establishes when service providers need to start the heating season – within three days after the mean daily temperature in the street was fixed at eight degrees Celsius. If this requirement is not met, on the fourth day and each day the amount in the payment per month needs to decrease by 3.3%.
New responsibilities of the Ukrainians: penalties and repairs
Residents should do to prepare communications in high-rise buildings to provide komuslug. That is, if there’s a leak for repair is the responsibility of individual tenants. Also need to pay for the repair of intra house systems of gas and electricity.
For the repair of entrances will also have to answer yourself. Or create a condominium and hire a management company that for a fee will keep the house and local area, or by contract with janitors, service, which is engaged in garbage removal, etc. In those homes that condominiums are not created, the management company shall be appointed by the contest the city Council.
Worth noting: the porch and roof, and basement premises is a joint property of all residents of an apartment building.
According to the first law, the penalty for late payment of communal was supposed to appear this year, however, for the second reading unpleasant for debtors norm was moved to 2018. As explained by one of the authors of the bill Alyona Babak, the penalty is 0.1% of the debt per day. The total fine amount shall not exceed the amount of the debt. There are penalties after the 20th of each month. So, if you pay 30, you will have to pay 1% more. The new rule will affect millions of Ukrainians. So, in a typical high-rise building debts for communal is every fifth apartment, and the total amount of debt exceeded the 25 billion Ukraine hryvnia.
Photo: archive
In the new edition of the law “On housing services” as indicated: if the consumer does not pay more than a month, utilities can disable him. This is not to turn off the electricity and gas at the same time “block” the heat (if it is technically possible), cold and hot water for the debts can. About the disconnect must notify 30 days. The next day after the payment of the debt or the agreement on the restructuring of the supply of public services will resume.
Also the Ukrainians in the new law will be required to submit meter readings to service providers.
Where to complain
If water, gas or light comes into the apartment in bad quality, the Ukrainians have the right to call the supplier or his representative. After the inspection, the act-claim and the provider must recalculate the cost of the service. If the results of the study show that, for example, the selected gas meets the requirements, the cost of the study will have to cover yourself.
If the provider on call arrived, the act can be without it, but you need to obtain the signatures of at least two neighbors. Act a letter is sent to the vendor and he shall within five days make a decision: to count bills or reasonably refuse. If the provider ignores the requirements, you can apply to the court.
As the lawyer says Alena Protsenko, Kiev very rarely use their rights in matters of housing and not in a hurry to go to court, if the pressure in the system on the upper floors of high-rise buildings bad water, or is hot water – warm.
Recall that if the social security authorities will receive information that subsidence have debts for communal for at least two months, the subsidy is not extended. By the way, according to the state statistics service, as of April 2017, the Ukrainians owe for heating and hot water more 10.4 billion hryvnia for gas – 7.1 billion, for water – 2.5 billion UAH.
If the debtor wants to get a discount, you need to bring to the local social security authority a receipt for payment of the debt or the document evidencing the debt restructuring. If the grant is issued for the first time, that discount can be obtained even with debt. However, for the next season or need to pay off the debt, or to pay for communal yourself.
