To accelerate the flood: the Criminal Code refuses to repair the "leaky" house in Kotelniki

In Kotelniki near Moscow, a house in 3rd Pokrovsky Passage has been leaking for several years, its residents told Izvestia. Water gets through the electrical panels, and people are afraid of fire. During the rains, they are afraid to use elevators and stay in entrances. Mold has appeared on the walls of some apartments due to dampness. The victims demand that the management company eliminate the shortcomings and compensate for the repair costs. However, the Criminal Code complains about a faulty storm drain and assures that the house, built in 2009, does not need repairs.

What happened in the high-rise building

During heavy rains on June 9 and 13, residents of the 17-storey building in Kotelniki, built in 2009, flooded most of the entrances and several apartments. According to them, this problem has been around for a long time.

Judging by the footage that the victims sent to the editorial office, on June 9, the water was just oozing down the walls. And on June 13, the floor was already flooded. The video shows that the door mats are completely wet, and there are characteristic splashes when walking.

"The water is pouring through the electrical panels from the 17th to the first floor," Tatiana, a resident of the house, explained to Izvestia. "I can't imagine what will happen to the electrics now. And it's just dangerous to be in the entrances. When the water was on the floor, I was afraid to step on it, in case it would kill me," she said.

After the rains, a woman found mold in the apartment. The loggia wall turned out to be damp.

"We've already torn off the wallpaper, because nothing dries out after two floods," she shared.

According to Tatiana, the management company, the municipal unitary housing and Communal Enterprise (MUZHKP) Kotelniki, does not respond to complaints.

— The Criminal Code explained to me that the problem of the flood on June 9 is in the storm drain. Allegedly, heavy rain tore it off, after which the water flowed not into the pipe, but through the floors," she said. — And on the 13th, the same thing happened, but the water poured with greater force, since the Criminal Code did nothing.

The Men's housing and communal services "Kotelniki" confirmed to Izvestia that the repair work was carried out only on June 14. Tatiana received an act from the company (Izvestia has it).

"The flooding of the apartment occurred as a result of high—intensity precipitation, which led to a divergence of the bell connection of the stormwater drainage system pipeline," the document says.

However, there are inaccuracies in the act, the woman claims. For example, the area of the corridor is incorrectly indicated: it is divided into two parts, but only one was marked, so the resident of the house intends to conduct an independent examination.

Tatiana complained to various departments about the inaction of the Criminal Code, but nothing has changed.

— Residents are forced to change the heating system themselves so that there is no mold in the apartments. And in one of the entrances, they independently changed the tiles in the common areas and painted the walls," she stressed.

Another resident, Maria (name changed), also told Izvestia that the Criminal Code systematically fails to fulfill its duties.

— In our house, communications are in terrible condition, constant riser breaks. But when there is an opportunity to fix everything before an emergency occurs, they refuse to do it or offer to fix it for cash, or wait until it breaks," she said.

Not for the first time

The house was already flooded in 2023, residents said. One of the victims, Yulia, decided to defend her rights in court.

— I've been suing for about a year and a half. The apartment was flooded three times. No one paid attention to my statements, as well as to the fact that there is a problem on the roof," she told Izvestia.

That year, Julia managed to see the condition of the storm drain. According to her, it was taped shut. The roofing material is also swollen on the roof.

"With the next rain and strong wind, it was blown away again, and we were flooded so that we walked ankle—deep in water at home," the victim noted.

After the incident, Yulia conducted an independent expert examination, which estimated the damage at 790 thousand rubles. However, during the court hearings, the amount was reduced to 320 thousand rubles. — damaged furniture was excluded, and some damages were only partially counted.

— My doors are swollen, laminate flooring, wallpaper in the hallway is torn off. A sofa worth more than 150 thousand rubles had to be thrown away. The bottom of the wardrobe is completely swollen," she stressed.

The repairs had to be done at his own expense, and the money was returned through the court only a year later.

"I lost my job because I was mired in court," Julia said.

Her apartment is also mildewed — and new foci are appearing.

Izvestia sent inquiries to the Prosecutor General's Office and the State Housing Inspectorate of the Moscow Region.

How mold affects your health

Mold, which forms after flooding, is very dangerous, Irina Shcherbakova, Deputy chief physician for therapy at the Be Healthy clinic, told Izvestia.

—Within three to seven days after the leak, black or white mold appears on the walls, ceiling and under the wallpaper, which destroys housing and causes serious harm to health," the expert noted. "It releases a lot of spores and toxic substances that provoke severe respiratory and allergic diseases, undermine the immune system and can cause intoxication of the body.

To prevent mold from developing, it is necessary to remove all moisture, including drying wet objects for a maximum of two days after the flood.

What they say in the Criminal Code

The men's housing company Kotelniki informed Izvestia that all leaks have been eliminated at the moment. They added that if the inspection establishes their responsibility for the problems that have arisen, the damage to the tenants will be reimbursed in due course..

According to the lawyer of the Criminal Code, all residents who applied within the prescribed time frame were provided with certificates of flooding within two days from the moment of application.

— There were two applications for flooding, they have both been fulfilled, — he noted. — Anyone who has suffered damage as a result of the gulf has the right to go to court. If this is the area of responsibility of the management company, then, of course, the damage will be recovered.

At the same time, another employee of the company told Izvestia that they had received three complaints about the flood in the apartments. He also noted that the roof had not been repaired, as he had no information about the need for such work. According to him, the storm sewer system belongs to the elements of landscaping and is in good condition.

According to Izvestia, in 2021, another owner living in a house under their jurisdiction sued the Criminal Code. The claim was related to compensation for damage caused by the flooding of the apartment. As a result, a little more than 105 thousand rubles were recovered from the company.

What should victims do?

To file a lawsuit with the court, it is necessary to obtain evidence of damage caused by the fault of the Criminal Code and the conclusion of an independent expert examination on the cost of repairing the damage, Yuri Netreba, a lawyer in the housing and communal services sector, told Izvestia.

— The fact of the leak will be easier to prove with a collective appeal to the court from several affected residents. Inspection certificates, copies of applications to the management company with a note of acceptance, certificates, photographs and other materials confirming the existence of a problem can be used as evidence," he added.

According to the expert, the trial will take at least six months.

If the house was commissioned with defects, then only major repairs will help eliminate the problems, Konstantin Krokhin, a member of the Committee on Entrepreneurship in the housing and Communal Services sector of the CCI of the Russian Federation, told Izvestia.

— Serious leaks in the roof are eliminated by expensive work. No management company with its own budgets will solve such problems. And sometimes even major repairs don't help," he stressed.

According to him, the creation of a homeowners' association (HOA) It can help solve the problem: proactive residents will monitor the condition of the house and seek repairs in a timely manner. In addition, you can create a separate account, which will receive funds from the owners for major repairs.

"This will allow you to independently order the necessary work, including major repairs, and monitor their quality," he explained.

If the Criminal Code does not fulfill its duties, residents have the right to contact the housing supervision and licensing authorities, for example, the State Housing Inspectorate of the Moscow Region," Svetlana Razvorotneva, deputy chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services, told Izvestia.

— They should monitor the work of the management company, the quality of the maintenance of household property. In case of gross violations of licensing requirements, such as endangering the health, life, and safety of residents, they are required to withdraw the license so that the criminal Code no longer operates on the market," she added.

And if the supervisory authorities are inactive, you need to write to the prosecutor's office, the expert emphasized.

How often do people complain about the Criminal Code

According to the Prosecutor General's Office, in 2025, about 96.9 thousand complaints related to the provision of substandard utilities were satisfied. Earlier, Izvestia reported that residents of the elite residential complex had initiated criminal proceedings against the management company.

"People usually complain about the improper maintenance of common property: roof leaks, flooded basements, unpleasant odors from sewers, uncleaned yards, uncut grass," the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing and Communal Services told Izvestia. — The number of requests increases during the start and end of the heating season, when there are problems with heat supply, dehumidification of heating systems and prolonged troubleshooting.

Complaints about the work of management companies remain one of the most acute problems in the housing and communal services sector, said Alexander Aksenenko, Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Construction and Housing.

"The situation is also causing discontent when residents cannot get a timely response or an understandable answer to legitimate questions for their money," he stressed.

According to the expert, the more openness and control from the owners, the higher the quality of the management companies' work.