What's new
Changes and news
The guide grows step by step, with new checklists, hypothetical examples and terms. This page notes what has been added or updated. We do not publish news about changes to tariffs or rules; instead, we explain where residents can check for themselves which conditions apply to their building right now.
A tariff quoted in the neighbours' group chat and a tariff in an official document are not always the same thing. For your own bill, rely on the second.
This feed shows only changes to the guide itself. We talk about updates to tariffs and billing rules in one sense only: how to check them in official sources. Ask the management company about your particular building and consult the documents it is required to disclose. The procedures described here are those of Russian law; rules differ in other countries, so readers elsewhere should check their own rules.
New in the guide
The latest changes to the sections.
A resident's glossary
Terms for the bill, meters and the parties involved in billing, from the personal account number to meter verification and the housing inspectorate.
Which papers to keep
The documents section now has a table covering receipts, meter reports, applications and replies from the management company.
How a payment document is laid out
Describes the main blocks of a bill and the general rule on the payment deadline under the Russian Housing Code.
Hypothetical examples of disputed charges
Covers someone else's readings, a standard despite a working meter, a long absence, a duplicate bill, previous residents' arrears and cold "hot" water.
Checking a month's charges
A step-by-step procedure for checking the bill has been published, along with a list of signs that call for a written question.
Catalogue of articles for English-speaking readers
This is where standalone articles for English-speaking readers will appear. We write them around the questions people most often have when reading a household bill or dealing with a landlord, building manager or utility provider, and we do not translate them from other languages.
- What WoW Players Should Know About Raid Preparation and Weekly Resets — A Practical Reference #1
A trend report on how World of Warcraft players prepare for raids in Midnight: week-long planning, hybrid groups, first Mythic clears and visible ratings.
- GTA 6 Player Assistance and Boosting Options: Source Check
Which kinds of GTA 6 player help can be judged before launch, which claims are still speculation, and what to verify before trusting any service offer.
- How to evaluate Dark and Darker news, guides and game resources: Online Communities
How Discord servers, forums, video creators, wikis and resource hubs compare as sources for Dark and Darker, with scenarios and a checklist for judging claims.
- Aion2Boost brand & Aion 2 player resources: Beginner-Friendly Explanation
A newcomer's map of Aion 2 information: official channels, community guides and named service sites such as Aion2Boost, plus how to read each one calmly.
- How Gaming Assistance Services Are Organized: Player Decision Guide
A decision guide to how game assistance services sort their offers, with examples from MOBAs, MMOs, shooters and Genshin Impact, and criteria to compare them.
Topics in progress
- Estimated versus actual readings: how to tell which one your bill is based on
- Moving house: a checklist for closing and opening household accounts
- Sharing a rented home: agreeing in writing who pays which bills
- How to write a billing complaint that gets a clear, specific answer
Editorial rules
- Articles in this catalogue are written separately for each language version and are not translations.
- Some articles link to third-party websites, including gaming services; we do not control their content, prices or terms.
- We do not accept payments or meter readings and do not publish tariffs, rankings of management companies or reviews.
How to check the current rules and tariffs
Find the original text of the rule
The Russian Housing Code and Russian Government resolutions are published on the official legal information portal. Read them there rather than in someone else's retelling.
Check the version date
Make sure you are looking at the version currently in force. Treat material with no date and no reference to a source as a rough opinion.
Look in GIS ZhKKh
The state housing and utilities information system GIS ZhKKh (dom.gosuslugi.ru) publishes information on buildings, management companies and charges. Search by your building's address to see who services it.
Check your region's website
Tariffs and consumption standards are set at regional level. Look for the decisions of the body that approves them on the official website of the regional authorities.
Ask in writing
If you cannot work out which tariff your bill was calculated on, send a written request to the management company and keep the reply.
Related sections
- Basics
The parts of a utility bill: payer and account number, billing period, services, volume, amount charged and total due, plus the legal payment deadline.
- Documents
Which utility payment papers to keep and why, how billing by meter differs from billing by consumption standard, and why proof of payment is worth keeping.
- FAQ
Short answers to common questions about the utility bill, meters, disputed charges and arrears on housing and utility payments, based on Russian law.
Sources
- Housing Code of the Russian Federation, Articles 155 and 157
- Rules for the Provision of Utility Services (Russian Government Resolution No. 354 of 6 May 2011)
- GIS ZhKKh, the state housing and utilities information system (dom.gosuslugi.ru): reference materials
These materials are based on the Russian Housing Code and the Russian Rules for the Provision of Utility Services. Deadlines, billing methods and tariffs for a particular building also depend on the management contract, decisions of the general meeting and regional regulations, so check important questions against official sources and your own documents. Rules differ in other countries: if you live elsewhere, check the rules that apply to you.