For four years, a decree has been in force in Belarus according to which apartment owners must repair entrances at their own expense. Passions about this matter do not subside. Slutsch residents contacted the editors of Kur'er with a complaint that utility services charged them a “cosmic” amount - 182 and 225 rubles each for two- and three-room apartments, respectively.
Residents refuse to pay. However, repair work has already begun without their consent. And it turns out that the housing department has the right to do this.
Who does the repairs?
Current repairs in an apartment building (MCD) must be carried out by a management company (MC) at the expense of all owners. Such repairs are included in the receipt for payment of housing and communal services. The amount of payment is set at a general meeting of homeowners in the apartment building. Otherwise, according to the law, the tariffs approved by the municipality apply.
Entrance to a house on Tchaikovsky Street
The fact that owners are required to pay a fee for current repairs within the framework of an agreement with the management company is stated in Articles 154-156 of the Housing Code and the rules for the maintenance of common property, approved by the Government of the Russian Federation on August 13, 2006 under number 491. The amount of the fee is also regulated by law: “average costs for current repairs of the housing stock in the city, municipality should be planned within the range of 0.40-0.55% of the replacement cost of residential buildings per year (taking into account the ratio of the component parts of the complex of works on maintenance and current repairs of the housing stock as 0.8 :1 - 0.9:1),” the document says.
Repairs are carried out by contractors selected by the management company on a competitive basis. And here it is important to know that the current repairs of residential buildings are strictly regulated and are carried out in accordance with the regulations of the State Construction Committee of Russia.
Plans for routine repairs are formed annually: before and after the heating season, when the management company checks (should check!) the condition of residential buildings. However, it can also be carried out on the initiative of residents. You can check the estimated time frame for repairs with the management organization. The information is open: the management company is obliged to provide it to the owners upon request.
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According to the resolution of the State Committee of the Russian Federation for Construction and Housing and Public Utilities, management companies carry out routine repairs “within two to five years, depending on the type of residential buildings, the materials of the main structures, their physical wear and tear and local climatic conditions.” However, it can be more often, again at the request of the residents. The owners must vote for its unscheduled implementation.
Repairs are needed, but at an adequate price
On Monday, May 20, renovations began in the second entrance of the nine-story building No. 221 on Lenin Street. It was initiated by the housing department. In mid-February they held a meeting with residents. They discussed what needed to be done and whether the residents were ready to pay. All those present agreed that repairs were needed - nothing had been done to the entrance for 30 years.
After the meeting, utility workers took measurements and drew up an estimate. In the entrance it is planned to paint the ceilings, walls, doors, window frames, stair railings, grilles, mailboxes, garbage chute valve, and heating radiator. The bill for cosmetic repairs was almost 7,300 rubles. Of these, the cost of materials is 732 rubles.
For current repairs at the entrance, the residents were billed almost 7,300 rubles.
Photo: Natalia Zhavrid “Since there is a resolution that the owners must pay, we agree. But we are ready to pay only the costs of materials and construction work. Why should we make a profit for the enterprise in the amount of 1,337 rubles? Why should we pay for social insurance for employees in the amount of almost 1,000 rubles?” - Galina Burdykalova , a resident of the entrance, is indignant.
Another tenant, Vasily Kopin, adds that at the meeting the utility workers named the approximate cost of repairs - about 5,000 rubles. In reality it turned out to be much more.
The man said that for 30 years he had been donating money so that the housing and communal services had the means to make routine repairs to the entrance. “So they want to skin me again,” says the man.
Residents add that not all of their wishes were taken into account. At the meeting they also asked to repair the basement, in which water constantly stands after rains. Because of this, mold and mildew appeared on the walls in the apartments on the ground floor. “The blackness is terrible! I called a man with a thermal imager. He said the problem in the basement needed to be fixed. I have been knocking on the doorsteps of bosses since 2007. In response I received the following: “Open the windows more often for ventilation.” But living with the stench is unbearable,” says Galina Burdykalova.
Galina Burdykalova asked to repair the basement as well: there is always water in it. Because of this, there was mold and mildew on all the walls in her apartment.
Her neighbor Lyudmila Duboleko joins the conversation. She says that three women are doing the repairs. They said they would handle it in a month. “In March we did renovations in the fourth entrance. They were billed less than us: 130 rubles for a one-room apartment, 170 rubles for a two-room apartment, 240 rubles for a four-room apartment. Residents are still outraged that the work was done in bad faith. We complained to the State Control Committee - and to no avail,” Lyudmila Mikhailovna shrugs.
Vasily Kopin says that the garbage chute valve has long since rotted. The cover needs to be changed. And they are just going to paint it.
In addition, Vasily Kopin is sure that the utility workers took the measurements incorrectly. The estimate indicates that this battery is 5 sq.m. And according to the man, there is not even 1 square meter here.
What work is included in current repairs?
The routine repair program includes items for which the period for preventive or cosmetic work has come. Their entire list is recorded in the manual. For example, you may require “elimination of local deformations, strengthening, restoration of damaged sections of foundations,” sealing of joints, “restoration of floor coverings,” repair of canopies made of soft materials or sheet steel.
Owners have the right to “ensure control over the progress and quality of routine repair work.” If necessary (if there are suspicions that the work is being carried out with gross violations), the law allows the involvement of employees of the state housing inspection and specialist experts.
The management company is obliged to replace the floor tiles as part of ongoing repairs
According to the law, everything is fair
Residents of the entrance refuse to pay the bill. They ask utility companies to re-price and estimate the repairs adequately. Specialists of the Slutsk Housing and Public Utilities Unitary Enterprise respond that all calculations were made in accordance with the law. “There are official programs with the help of which estimates are drawn up. We are not deceiving anyone,” said Irina Grinevich , an engineer in the production and technical department.
Elena Korzhenevskaya , deputy director of Slutsk housing and communal services for ideological work, added that the interest rates were drawn up correctly. If residents have doubts or questions, let them contact their specialists. Everything will be explained in detail to everyone in writing.
Despite the protests of the residents of the entrance, repair work has already begun without their consent. Upon completion, owners are required to pay the bill within three months.
Residents agree that the entrance needs repairs. But at the right price.
“Due to the decree, we are allowed to begin repairs without the consent of the residents. The entrance is in poor condition. We held the meeting twice. We gave everyone the estimated estimates. After a month, we have the right to begin work without the consent of the residents,” says Sergei Ivanov , head of housing department-2. — All percentages are drawn up on the basis of the official program for carrying out repair work. We have already made calculations for cosmetic repairs with minimal costs to make it more affordable for people. But they are not satisfied with everything.”
Acceptance of work
After the completion of the current renovation of the apartment building, the work is accepted by a commission consisting of representatives of the owner, management company or organization servicing the housing stock, contractor and housing inspectorate. Residents have the right to invite independent specialists or experts to assess the quality of work, but they will have to pay for their services themselves. All shortcomings (if any) are recorded in the act. Remember, all work is covered by a guarantee.
Don’t forget that when painting and whitewashing the entrance, workers must cover the apartment doors with protective film so as not to stain them. This is enshrined in law. Construction waste must be removed from the entrance and yard within 24 hours. At the same time, it is prohibited to place garbage on lawns, flower beds, and playgrounds. Otherwise, you can immediately complain to the management company, and then to the housing inspection.
The management company must replace the broken lampshade
If the management company refuses to carry out repairs
If the management company is in no hurry to carry out repairs, then it is necessary to organize a meeting of residents. On it you define and record on paper a list of required work. And then you contact the management company with an application from the owners to carry out repairs. The procedure here is the same as in the previous case.
According to the Decree of the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation No. 170 dated September 27, 2003, cleaning after repairs, as well as maintaining cleanliness throughout the year, is the responsibility of the management company.
It is necessary to submit a written appeal to the Criminal Code in two copies. If within a month you have not received a response from the company, then send an appeal to the housing inspectorate or the prosecutor's office. You are filing a complaint about the inaction of the management company signed by the owners of the apartment building. If this does not help, you need to go to court. Remember: if the management organization does not carry out repairs, and you pay money for housing and communal services regularly, you should apply for a recalculation of fees. To do this, again, you need to apply in writing to the Criminal Code, and if refused, to the court.
Owners will have to pay separately for the installation of cameras.
Alternatively, you can carry out the work yourself, and then recover the money from the management company in court. The administration, housing inspection and court will take into account the need for work. To get a full refund, you will have to prove that you only repaired what was really necessary. Moreover, you will have to prove the need to purchase materials and their cost.
If, for example, you decide to install CCTV cameras at the entrance or in the local area, then you will not be able to recover their cost from the management company. Or you organized a replacement of lamps because you didn’t like the old ones - you won’t get your money back for that either.
Photo from the IRK.ru archive
