What are tenants required to pay for?

One of the important questions that interests applicants for rental housing is that in addition to rent, which is included in the list of payments, should the tenant pay for major repairs and other services? It is this argument that influences the choice of one option or another.

What does the apartment tenant pay for? Obligations when renting an apartment of a tenant regarding making payments are regulated by the Civil Code and Housing Code of the Russian Federation. In accordance with the Civil Code, the contract must specify the terms and obligations for payment for utilities and housing maintenance. In the absence of these points, the provisions of the Civil Code apply.

Renting council housing

In a transaction involving the rental of municipal housing, a social rental agreement is drawn up between the tenant and the competent authorities, which indicates the total rental amount. What does housing payment include?

This rent amount includes:

• payment for accommodation (for low-income residents this item is waived);
• for housing maintenance and repair work;
• for utility costs.

Payment for utilities under a social tenancy agreement consists of payments for those services that are available in the residential premises. This includes electricity, water (cold and hot), heating, gas, etc.  

The employer’s obligation to pay for housing and communal services is regulated by Article 153 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. The citizen pays for them from the moment the social rental agreement is valid.

How is the amount of rent for a privatized apartment regulated?

The tenant must pay for all utilities; the list of services that the tenant must pay for includes:

• payment for utilities (gas, cold and hot water, sewerage, heating, sewerage, general house needs, water heating, electricity and housing and communal services);
• fees for maintenance and minor repairs of the premises;
• telecommunications payments (Internet, cable TV);
• telephone.

According to the Civil Code, the tenant’s obligations include payment of utilities and the rental amount, while the owner is responsible for the remaining costs.

Payment for these services may be included in the rent amount, or may be paid separately, depending on the agreements between the owner and the tenant. In the first case, the amount is fixed, and in the second, it can vary depending on utility costs.

Popular payment options for services

Who pays utility bills? With a fixed fee, the homeowner personally makes payments for utilities; they are calculated from the total rental amount. And this is not very beneficial for landlords, since the tenant is not interested in saving resources. On the other hand, a fixed fee may seem more expensive to the employer himself.

Therefore, the option when payments for utilities are determined in accordance with monthly accruals suits both parties. By saving resources, the employer will reduce the amount of payment for utility costs, and the owner will receive a certain amount, regardless of the costs of electricity, water, etc.

In this case, the tenant can personally pay utility bills by providing checks to the owner or handing over the money to him. And the owner will receive the same amount for rent.

The second option is especially beneficial for tenants when there are measuring instruments in the house. If they are not there, a fixed amount of payment for utilities is charged and its amount is many times higher than if you pay by meters.

How to collect rent from tenants?

A homeowner can receive payment for rent and utilities in the following ways:

• He can himself collect apartment rent and utility bills from residents. Here, there is also no need to solve the problem of how to charge tenants for water, since you can simply view the meter readings, combining this procedure with monthly checks of the condition of the apartment.
• Through an intermediary. Money and documents confirming the fact of payment for utilities (if they have already been paid by the tenant) are transferred through him.
• Transfer of payment to the owner's bank account or card. This and the previous methods are suitable if the owner lives far away and cannot do these procedures himself.
• Transfer of the rental amount, as well as documents confirming payment for housing by the landlord, personally to the owner of the property.

Read also >> How to pay for housing and communal services through the State Services portal .

Who pays for general household needs?

In accordance with the provisions of the Civil Code and Housing Code, when renting real estate, the tenant is obliged to pay for current repairs and maintenance of housing, and general house needs. But this fact can be reflected in the contract if an agreement is made that the owner is responsible for all these expenses.

But to the question whether the tenant is obliged to pay for major repairs, a clear answer can be given: the owner must .

According to Article 678 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, the tenant undertakes to maintain the living space in proper condition. He is not allowed to carry out redevelopment or reconstruction in the premises without the consent of the owner.

How to reflect the conditions when renting residential space in a written agreement?

An apartment rental agreement is a document that has legal force. It displays the conditions for payment of the amount by the tenant point by point. The amount of rent, terms and method of payment must be indicated.

Clauses for other payments may not be indicated; they will be regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Code. However, it is better to specify the obligations of both parties in more detail, which will eliminate further disputes.

Sample documents

Here you can download samples of a rental agreement for an apartment of several types:

• simple option;
• with additional conditions.

This is what the rental document form looks like: