Smell of a revolution in housing and communal services: “Change the entire system of accounts”

The housing and utilities sector decided to add transparency. Until now, most consumers do not know what exactly management companies (MCs) and resource-supplying organizations spend their money on. For this reason, Russia proposed to change the system of payment for housing and communal services. They want to accumulate the money of the owners on specially created accounts, instead of immediately transferring the funds to the management company.

Such an initiative was made by the Institute of Urban Economics. In 2023, the proposal may be considered by the State Duma. Whether consumers will be able to save on a communal apartment, MK understood.

The initiative was not born yesterday. For a long time, the possibility of introducing special accounts was discussed behind the scenes and at various public venues, however, it was not accepted with enthusiasm by the authorities.

Now the situation has changed. At the end of October, a strategy for the development of construction and housing and communal services was approved. In it, regarding the management of multi-apartment buildings (MKD), the task of developing a building management model is set. One of these “other models” could be a special account for each MKD, explains director of the direction “Urban economy” of the Foundation “Institute of Urban Economics” Irina Gentsler.

The essence of the proposal is that, in accordance with the law, the owners of apartments own the common property of MKD. Like it or not, you will have to bear the cost of maintaining the house. But today, all the money that the payers transfer immediately goes to the settlement account of the management company.

The catch is that such an account is a common wallet for several MKDs at once. It is impossible to track exactly what the money of a particular payer was spent on. The authors of the initiative propose to allow owners of MKD apartments to collect funds for current repairs, management and maintenance of their building on a separate account.

“The system is very reminiscent of a special account for overhaul, where it is also determined that a separate bank account is opened for the house, which contains the general money of the owners,” continues Genzler. – An account can be opened in absolutely any name: for a regional operator, for a management company… This is a nominal account that can be opened by any person, and the money that is stored on it belongs to other people.

That is, such an option is possible: the money is from the owners, and the account for them was opened, for example, by a management company. Only the tenants themselves can manage the funds. The invoice will make it possible to pay an advance payment, if it is stipulated by the contract, and further payment will be made only upon the fact of the work done by the contractor.”

But even with this method of payment, the owners may encounter difficulties. In any MKD there are unscrupulous payers. Some houses have a lot of them, others don’t. In any case, there is a possibility that the money accumulated in the account may not be enough to implement all the planned work. So, it is necessary to assess the risks in advance. If it turns out that the proportion of non-payers is too high, you should refuse to switch to this form of payment.

“Today there is no financial transparency in the MAB management market. Therefore, it is necessary to look for solutions that will allow residents to increase control over their own money. After all, the funds received on the accounts of the management company should not automatically become its property, – says expert of the Popular Front, member of the Public Council of the federal project “School of a Literate Consumer” Pavel Sklyanchuk. – The new model of special accounts will reduce up to 20% the cost of gray schemes that are used by management companies, attracting affiliated contractors and carrying out work “on paper”.

But in order for the special account to really work, you need active advice at home, and there are far from such places everywhere. Approximately 40% of houses have a chairman of the house council, who is able to provide control over the activities of the management company.

Chairman of the Housing Union, Member of the Housing and Communal Services Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation, lawyer Konstantin Krokhin takes a negative view of the proposal to introduce a special account. According to him, the new form of payment was not discussed with market professionals, with independent associations. “This is an imitation of some activity in the industry. On the basis of pseudo-expert analysis, this harmful initiative was born, which can then be supported by the government,” the expert continues.

According to him, the management company has certain powers and responsibilities. “It turns out that they want to remove the Criminal Code from the management of apartment buildings. The ability to dispose of the funds received as payment for the services provided is a clear interference with the powers of management, he notes. – In the future, it will turn out that management companies, if such changes occur, will not be able to be responsible for the timely provision of services with the wording “we were not given money.”

The quality of services will drop. Who will benefit from the initiative? Not tenants, but a certain structure, a regional operator that keeps money in bank accounts.”

According to Krokhin, such experiments with special accounts are extremely dangerous. “This will end in a riot of service payers,” warns our interlocutor.