The State Duma proposed to exempt Russians from paying penalties for housing and communal services debts in 2027

Deputies of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation have developed a bill envisaging the abolition of penalties for late payment of housing and communal services and capital repairs in 2027 (the text of the document is available to Izvestia). The initiative will be submitted to the State Duma on April 2.

A penalty is a fine equal to the amount of debt multiplied by 1/300 of the current key rate of the Central Bank of Russia (CBR), Yuri Afonin, one of the authors of the bill, Deputy Chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia. If the debt is not repaid within 90 days, the penalty fee increases. Now, every day, the debt will grow by 1/130 of the rate for housing and communal services and 1/300 for capital repairs.

The key rate has been very high in recent years, so the government has given debtors a discount. Currently, the current rate of the Central Bank is not used, but the one that was on February 27, 2022 — 9.5%. This decree ends on December 31, 2026. And from January 1, 2027, the norms of the Housing Code will begin to apply directly.

"1/300 and 1/130 of the key rate sound like it's not scary. But let's make a calculation. Currently, the Central Bank's key rate is 15.5%, and last year it reached 21%. At a rate of 15.5%, the family's debt for communal services will increase by 36% in one year. And if the rate is 21% again, then the debt will increase by almost 50% in a year. Let's imagine a family that found itself in a difficult financial situation and for a year accumulated 100 thousand rubles of debt for communal services. She would like to pay, but she has already been charged another 30-50 thousand rubles in penalties over the main debt. And if the debt was formed several years ago, then the amount of penalties is such that there is no way out at all," Afonin said.

He added that in recent years, many Russian families have found themselves in a difficult situation and millions of people have to choose whether to pay for communal services or, for example, to take their child to school. At the same time, the initiative provides for the exemption from penalties of those who have paid all debts by 2027. Together with Afonin, the bill was drafted by deputies Nikolai Kolomeitsev, Mikhail Avdeev, Alexey Kurin and Roman Lyabikhov.

According to the Ministry of Construction of the Russian Federation, the debt of citizens for housing and communal services amounts to 415 billion rubles (together with legal entities — 1.2 trillion rubles), and for the payment of contributions for major repairs — about 135 billion rubles.

FAS on tariffs: the government will control the price increase in receipts for housing and communal services

The Antimonopoly Service will have the right to set prices independently.

On March 5, it became known that in Russia it will be possible to collect debts for housing and communal services in electronic format. The pilot project is planned to be launched in several regions by the end of 2026. Debtors will be notified of the court order through the Gosuslugi portal and the State Housing and Communal Services Information System (GIS Housing and Communal Services).

All important news is on the Izvestia channel in the MAX messenger.