The expert reported on changes in the payment terms for housing and communal services

The payment deadline for housing and communal services will change from March 1. Olga Leonova, Candidate of Law, Associate Professor of the Department of State and Municipal Finance at Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Prime agency about this on October 28.

It is reported that the payment period for residential premises is regulated by Article 155 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation (hereinafter referred to as the Housing Code of the Russian Federation) (dated December 29, 2004 N 188-FZ). Federal Law No. 177-FZ of 06/24/2025 amended it. This law will be effective from March 1, 2026.

"The changes are as follows: at the moment, before the changes come into force, the payment period for housing and utilities is set monthly until the tenth day of the month following the expired month. Starting from March 1, 2026, the fee will need to be paid by the 15th of the month following the expired month," Leonova said.

According to the new rules, payment for utilities for March 2026 will need to be made before April 15, 2026, the expert notes.

Also, starting from March 2026, the date of distribution of payment documents will change: receipts will arrive not on the 1st, but on the 5th of each month.

These measures are designed to reduce the number of cases of late payment penalties. As Leonova explained, this is due to the salary schedule: since most employees receive an advance payment on or about the 15th, people will have the opportunity to pay bills on time, immediately after receiving it, and avoid additional penalties.

Stubborn figure: housing and communal services will switch to electronic payments throughout Russia

Should we expect a complete rejection of paper receipts and how do representatives of the Criminal Code treat the initiative?

Earlier, on October 21, it was reported that the Ministry of Construction informed about the development of a single payment method for housing and communal services. It was noted that the new rules are aimed at creating a single method of delivery of a legally significant electronic payment document for the entire territory of the Russian Federation.

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