The widespread installation of water meters in residential premises has led over time to some confusion regarding the operation of devices in communal apartments. That is, in those houses where there is a sole owner of the premises who uses water and understands where it goes, bills are paid in full and without any hitches. But in this case, residents of communal apartments have a hard time. Often, negligent neighbors either simply refuse to pay or populate their premises with unregistered tenants who consume water but do not pay. We will discuss what to do in this case below.
Important: in order to avoid possible red tape when dividing water bills, it is better to refuse to install a meter altogether and continue to pay according to the standards. If all the neighbors are reasonable and agree to control the flow of hot and cold water in a municipal apartment, then it is necessary and possible to install a water meter only with the written consent of all registered and living in it.
Several rules and extracts from the law
According to the law of the Russian Federation, the installation of a water meter may not be carried out in those premises that are recognized as emergency and not suitable for any type of installation or construction work. Since any intervention can damage the integrity of the structure. The unsuitability and dangerousness of the building is confirmed by special commissions in a written act. In this case, payments for consumed water for all residents are carried out in the usual manner according to standards.
In addition, it is worth knowing that you can not install a water meter only because of your disagreement. In this case, payment for the consumed resource will be carried out according to an increasing tariff schedule. According to the law, there are no fines or administrative penalties for those who do not install a water meter.
Persons entitled to install a water meter
If all neighbors in a communal apartment have reached a unanimous decision to install a meter, then any person who has an understanding of the construction of a water supply system can carry out the installation work.
At the same time, the law clearly states that the installation of water meters is carried out at the expense of the water user and by his efforts. That is, you can install the device in any convenient way: BC 1xBet has released an application, now officially you can click on the active link for free and without any registration.
- Invite a foreman from the housing office by writing an application;
- Conclude an agreement with a contractor company and wait for the installer (by the way, in this case, specialists often have permission to seal the water meter);
- Use the services of a private specialist;
- Or install a water meter yourself.
In any case, the last stage of putting the device into operation should be the appearance of a seal on it.
If the counter is installed
It is profitable to pay bills if there is a water meter in a communal apartment. But such a calculation is convenient only if all neighbors recognize the adequacy of the redistribution of payments. In this case, the amounts of bills received for water can be divided by agreement of all neighbors. The payment method is selected either according to the number of people registered in the premises, or according to the number of all actual residents.
Let's give an example of calculation
We have a communal apartment of three rooms.
Two people are registered in one of them, but in fact they don’t live at all, which means they don’t use any water or other resources. There is only one person registered in the second room, but in fact there are three people living there. Then the network water consumption is already increasing. Three people are registered and living in the third room. In this case, it will be more profitable for the third and first rooms to pay for water according to the number of actual residents, while it is more convenient for residents from the second room to pay according to the number of registered ones. Rules for installing a water meter
As a rule, adequate residents agree to a calculation scheme based on the “actually living” criterion. Then the payment scheme in our example will look like this:
- Registered residents from the first room pay nothing;
- Residents of the second pay an amount equal to 3/6. That is, the entire cost of water is divided by the number of everyone living in the premises. In our case it is 6 people.
- Residents of the third room in the communal apartment will also pay 3/6 of the amount.
If non-resident tenants move in and start living, then the calculation of water bills will look like this:
- First room - 2/8;
- Second room - 3/8;
- The third room is 3/8.
If a situation arises when the installation of the meter took place with the consent of all registered, and subsequently the room has changed tenants who refuse to pay, then the dispute can be resolved either through a conversation with the owner, who must pay for his tenants, or through the management company.
To do this, you need to contact the accounting department of the management company with a written statement and an act signed by the neighbors stating that in fact more people live in the communal apartment. In this case, the accounting department is required to redistribute accounts and put debtors in their place.
Important: act of actual residence. Unregistered neighbors are appointed by the house manager.
There are also radical measures to resolve issues in such a situation. You can contact the migration service or the police with a request to check the registration of your living neighbors. Most likely, illegal immigrants will be evicted, and the negligent neighbor-landlord will be punished with a fine. But it’s better not to let things get so heated and resolve everything peacefully.
Housing and communal services in Russia
Anastasia! Resource supply organizations have the right (and obligation) to install individual meters for you, and then present you with an invoice for payment. I know that the federal authorities are preparing a law according to which energy tariffs for those owners who have not installed meters will be increased several times (three to four times), and in a number of regions (republics, territories) such tariffs have already been established by local by the authorities. And in general, this was the first time I encountered such an opinion “...we don’t want to do this.” The general opinion is that installing cold and hot water meters is very profitable and pays for itself very quickly.
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Regarding the installation of separate electricity meters, here is what the same Rules No. 364 say about this: ... 50. If a communal apartment is equipped with a common (apartment) electric energy meter and at the same time all rooms in the communal apartment are equipped with room electric energy meters, then the amount of payment for the utility service for electricity provided to the consumer in a room in a communal apartment is determined in accordance with formula 9 of Appendix No. 2 to these Rules. If a communal apartment is equipped with a common (apartment) electric energy metering device and at the same time NOT ALL ROOMS IN THE COMMUNAL APARTMENT ARE EQUIPPED WITH ROOM ENERGY metering devices, then the calculation of the amount of payment for the utility service for electricity supply provided to the consumer living in the room (rooms) equipped with a electrical energy metering device, is carried out based on the readings of the room metering device and the agreement reached between all consumers in a communal apartment on the procedure for determining the volume (quantity) of electrical energy consumed in the premises, which are the common property of the owners of rooms in a communal apartment, and on its distribution among all consumers in a communal apartment. This agreement must be in writing, signed by the consumers of the communal apartment or their authorized representatives and handed over to the contractor. In this case, the contractor calculates the payment for utility services for electricity provided to consumers in a communal apartment in accordance with the agreement received from them, starting from the month following the month in which such an agreement was transferred to the contractor. In the absence of the specified agreement, the calculation of fees for utility services for electricity supply is carried out in accordance with formula 7 of Appendix No. 2 to these Rules without taking into account the readings of room electricity meters ... " [note. Yu. Kalnina – i.e. proportional to the number of residents in the rooms].
Installation of water meters in each room of a communal apartment
Residents of communal apartments often have the question “Is it possible to install water meters in each room?” Here the lawyers have a clear answer - no. According to SNiP standards, it is prohibited to arrange so-called “wet” rooms above dry ones. That is, it is prohibited to connect water supply pipes to sleeping and living spaces. So the installation of a water meter in a communal apartment is carried out only in the bathroom and at the rate of one for hot water supply pipes and cold water supply pipes.
Electricity in a communal apartment: how not to pay for a neighbor and avoid debts for electricity
The position of the energy sales company, as far as it can be understood from the responses to customer requests, boils down to the fact that since a communal apartment has a common personal account, then the residents must pay for electricity jointly. And how the residents of the “communal apartment” understand themselves is no longer the business of Mosenergosbyt.
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The second way to solve the problem of payment in the “communal apartment” is to ensure separate accounting in separate rooms of the apartment. In other words, in addition to the general apartment meter, install meters in each of the rooms. This option, as you remember, is also provided for by the “Rules for the provision of public utilities”.
Penalties in case of non-payment for water
If it happens that careless neighbors in a communal apartment refuse to pay for water, then in this case there is no need to be afraid of disconnection from communication. Since the water utility does not have the right to turn off the water supply to all residents of a communal apartment because of one debtor.
The procedure for installing a water meter in an apartment
Disconnection from a resource can only be done if the debtor has its own branch of communication. For example, electricity meters are installed in every room of a municipal apartment. In this case, it is possible to cut off only the debtor’s room from light.
In this case, the issue can be resolved by simply not providing meter readings to the accounting department of the DEZ. In this case, payment for consumed water will be carried out according to standards.
Important: when distributing payment amounts for water consumed, according to the law, the number of people living in the apartment can still be challenged. But it is impossible to prove the number of household appliances that use water and the frequency of its use.
Is it possible to install electricity meters for each owner in a communal apartment?
How many electricity meters can be installed in a communal apartment? There are 3 owners in the apartment. Now there is 1 old meter installed. I am rarely at home and pay for my neighbors. There is an opportunity to install a separate meter. The management company refused, citing the law. Which one?
In theory, the best solution for you would be to open a personal account for each room without installing control electric meters. But this is only possible with the consent of all owners to pay for consumed electricity using a common meter using a utility coefficient (payment in shares based on the number of residents, confirmed by statements from all owners).
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Poor water quality
It happens that when paying for the consumed life-giving moisture, friction arises due to poor water quality. For example, the water in the hot water pipes does not exceed a temperature of 40 degrees. And in order to somehow swim and take a bath, you have to drain the incoming water for 20-30 minutes. At the same time, the counter continues to wind, increasing the amount due for the consumed resource. In this case, you can contact housing department representatives with a request for a recalculation.
Here it is important to be prepared for red tape and a long waste of time. Since both the water utility and the boiler house serving the area of the communal apartment are responsible for the low temperature of the hot water supply.
To prove that the hot water in the pipes is of poor quality, you will need to work hard. But in this case, payment and payment for water can be made based on the services provided.
Electricity in a communal apartment: how not to pay for a neighbor and avoid debts for electricity
And what is the general summary? Alas, once again, a communal apartment is not the best place to live. If your neighbors are, in principle, negotiable and willing to pay for electricity, then it is possible to find a formula for coexistence. And even formalize it (in case of possible future friction).
The issue of payment for electricity in a communal apartment, as well as most issues related to payment for housing and communal services, are explained in the “Rules for the provision of utility services to owners and users of premises in apartment buildings and residential buildings” (hereinafter referred to as the Rules), approved by a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of May 6 2021 N 354.
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