Poor heating in an apartment is the most common complaint from residents about heating systems. But not everyone knows what to do in such a situation and where to complain if the batteries (radiator) at home do not heat well. Unfortunately, many remain inactive for years, continuing to freeze and pay for what they do not receive simply because of their low legal awareness. This category of the population usually begins to do something only when the heating in their apartment does not work at all. This is absolutely wrong.
On the other hand, before looking for where to complain if there is no heating, it is important to determine the likely cause of low temperatures. They are not always like this due to the fault of the heating network. For example, air pockets or rust may form in the pipes, preventing the normal passage of heat. If the apartment is corner, has not been renovated for a long time, heat can escape through the cracks between the balcony and window openings.
If the apartment is cold because the water temperature and pressure in the radiators are below the established standards, in this case you really should think about where to complain, since this is the fault of the heating networks. But for such measurements of heating in a house, a specialist is needed. In what sequence to act if there is no heat, when and where to turn - we will consider further.
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Temperature standards for apartments
Before filing a complaint about heating in your apartment, you need to pay attention to the standards approved by the government and measure the temperature in your home for verification.
Indoor temperature standards during the cold season (heated season):
In addition to these standards, it is also worth referring to common sense. You don’t always need to rush to find where to complain if the heating is bad, that is, below the numbers in the table above. Each person perceives this or that temperature in his own way; not everyone is equally comfortable at 22°C in the bedroom. In the same bathroom, humidity is of great importance, due to high humidity there is a feeling of dampness.
When the house is too cold, all temperatures in the apartment need to be documented, wherever you decide to complain. Without official measurements, you will not have evidence of a violation, which means that it will be impossible to hold anyone accountable and achieve anything.
Whether it's an apartment in multi-storey building or other housing, everyone should know what to do if your rights are violated. When there is no heating in a residential area, this is fraught with negative consequences affecting the health of citizens, especially young children.
If you have heating problems, it is important to clearly understand who is responsible for the heat in your home.
Who is responsible for the warm radiators in the apartment?
To understand where to call and what to do when the heating goes out, pay attention to the following. The second section of the “Rules and Standards for the Technical Operation of Housing Facilities” states that management companies are responsible for the provision of utility services. Accordingly, if your apartment building is on the balance sheet of such an organization, it is the organization that is responsible for the communications systems. Each homeowner has the right to demand that their management company provide services in accordance with the standards approved in Russia. Therefore, the management company is the first structure to contact if there is no heating in the apartment.
Management companies are also responsible for monitoring room temperatures and checking technical equipment, which should be done every time before the opening of the heating season. A weak heating season, a complete lack of heating, gives you the right to demand inspection reports of technical communications and contact higher authorities, where official complaints are sent.
When you contact the Criminal Code, if the batteries are cold, in writing, they should send you a specialist to check the information from your application. If deficiencies are found, appropriate renovation work. If the management company is inactive or completely denies its responsibility, it is worth considering other options where to contact, but all copies of documents on communication with the management company must be saved.
Where to complain about lack of heating
Complaints about lack of heating, like any complaint about poor heating, can be directed to more than one government agency. But this does not mean that you can start immediately with the most strict one - you must adhere to a certain algorithm. To begin, clearly establish on whose balance your apartment building is located in order to understand where to call about heating in the first place and who to call to check the operation of utilities.
When figuring out who to complain to if your management company does not take proper action, as well as heating in the apartment, pay attention to the following sequence of your steps:
- Call the housing inspection department - the emergency dispatch service of your city;
- Write a complaint to the local housing inspectorate;
- Submit a formal complaint to your heat and power organization;
- Demand protection of rights in Rospotrebnadzor;
- Call and write to local administration;
- Submit an appeal to the territorial Antimonopoly Service;
- Make the situation public in the media, if necessary;
- Contact the prosecutor's office or court.
Wherever you submit an official application regarding heating, cold pipes, radiators, you are required to give the same official, written response. It is advisable for complaints to be received collectively, from several residents of your building at once.
If you have cold radiator, but at the same time there is a hot riser, that is, the problem is quite likely not with the neighbors, but only with you, here a local check will be required first of all. Where to go with such a question regarding heating, as mentioned above - in management company.
Application to the housing and communal services management company
The current legislation does not have any rules regarding how an application should be drawn up to a management company, HOA, housing and communal services or other similar organization. The requirements for this document are the same as for other official business papers. The application is written on a white A4 sheet in blue ink; strikethroughs, corrections, and emotional expressions in the text are not allowed. The structure is as follows:
Such a statement is drawn up in two copies. One remains with you, but an employee of the management company is obliged to put a reception date on it and registration number. If documents are not accepted at your place, which can also happen, they must be sent by registered mail with an inventory and return notification. This important nuance– you must have evidence that you actually contacted the management company.
How to complain to the housing inspectorate about the Criminal Code
When the management company does not accept your application, ignores it, is inactive and declines responsibility, you can send a claim for poor-quality heat supply to the territorial housing inspection. The application is only permissible in writing and with confirmation of the fact that you have already applied with the intention of complaining about the lack of heating in your management company. Where exactly you went, when and with what requirements must be confirmed by the relevant documents you saved and their copies.
The procedure for submitting a request to the housing inspection is the same, two copies of the application are submitted, all documents available from previous applications to the Criminal Code are attached (measurement reports, your letters and responses to them, etc.), the problem is described in the same way. It is important to indicate exactly when there was no heating in your apartment, what the indicators are now, and what specific norms of Russian legislation were violated.
Having decided to complain collectively that there is no heating, and indicating where you have already visited to no avail, make sure that each of the indicated applicants has signed the document.
You can contact your local authorities
Where else you can turn if it’s too cold in your apartment is the district or city administration at the location of your property. This is the main one government agency, who is competent to independently resolve issues in the territory entrusted to him. But this does not mean that you cannot complain to the administration if your statements, heating complaints and requests were wrongfully ignored.
An absolutely similar application is submitted here, with the only difference being that paragraphs about all the structures that you have previously applied to are added. Evidence of your communication with these structures must be attached, which can be sent by registered mail with notification and a list of attachments.
How to write a complaint to Rospotrebnadzor
Rospotrebnadzor is taking measures to protect the rights of the population, so it makes sense to contact us here if all previous attempts to solve the heating problem have not given the desired result. The application with which you can complain to Rospotrebnadzor must contain:
Many people don’t even think about the possibility of complaining that there is no heating to Rospotrebnadzor. It is a mistake to believe that this body deals only with consumer rights in matters of selling or buying something - it affects almost all areas where human rights can generally be violated.
Federal Antimonopoly Service
Another structure where you can complain if there is no heat in your home is the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). First of all, it should be taken into account that the FAS does not resolve civil legal disputes, it only exercises control over compliance with legislation, as well as the activities of non-profit, commercial organizations and individuals(entrepreneurs).
The Antimonopoly Service, where you can also complain about the heating network, controls the activities of government entities and the executive branch. It conducts scheduled and unscheduled inspections, as a result of which violators of the law are brought to administrative responsibility.
In other words, if you have a significant complaint against the authorities to which you complained about the lack of heating earlier, it makes sense to complain to the FAS in order to stir up those who are inactive.
How to apply to your local prosecutor's office
Having unsuccessfully knocked on the thresholds of those who are responsible for heat in the apartments, the city administration and other government agencies, the owners and residents of these apartments have the right to contact the prosecutor's office. This step is taken only after all other stages have been completed and they have not given the desired result.
A standard application is submitted describing what you have already done to resolve your issue. Attached are all the accompanying documents indicating that you have already visited many government agencies where you can complain about the fact that there are cold radiators in the apartment.
The prosecutor's office will not accept your application if:
- The text is emotionally charged, contains obscene, offensive language, threats to officials and members of their families;
- The test is typed in capital letters or Latin letters;
- The presentation of the problem is unreadable, with incomprehensible abbreviations;
- Incorrect and incomplete addresses are provided;
- The message was addressed to the wrong address.
Judicial authorities
A complaint against the management company is filed in court last, if the management company refuses to bear full responsibility for the lack of heating, recalculate tariffs, check thermal systems. By filing a claim in court, your requirements are implemented most effectively.
As a result of the judicial review, all the circumstances set out in the claim are verified. If the claim is filed correctly, with the most complete documentary base attached, the court takes the side of the plaintiff, obliging the defendant to fulfill the demands of the injured party.
Residents can also go to court if the operating management company turned on the heating in the apartment later than the heating season began. In some cases, if communication does not work as it should, you can even claim compensation for damages suffered by the plaintiff, including legal costs.
Is it possible to get a recalculation of heating fees?
Residents whose rights have been violated have the right to submit an application to the management company, housing and communal services, or homeowners association with a request to recalculate the amount of payment for heat for the period when it was not available or it was supplied below the established standards. The basis for such recalculation at the legal level becomes public service, rendered in inadequate quality or violation of the terms of the contract.
This violation is confirmed by a special act, which must be drawn up by the management company itself, where residents previously came to complain. Each tenant who does not turn on the heating (on time, for other reasons, of poor quality) has the legal right to independently demand such an act. If the management company refuses, you must contact the housing inspectorate.
What is important to take into account is that they will recalculate only for the period when the violation was officially recorded. That is, if you notice that your batteries are barely warm in November, but you file a complaint in January, they will recalculate not from November, but from January.
The procedure for recalculation for services of inadequate quality is established by the Rules for the provision of utility services to residents of apartment buildings and private buildings. These were approved on May 6, 2011
With the arrival of the cold season, the health and comfortable life of all citizens largely depends on what temperature will be in their apartments or houses. Timely, and most importantly, high-quality provision of heat is the task of public utilities. If the heating does not work, or works but poorly, this is a gross violation on the part of the utilities.
Cold or slightly warm batteries will not be able to provide a comfortable temperature for living. Residents faced with a similar problem often simply do not know where to file a complaint. They turn on the heaters and wait patiently instead of contacting the utility company.
The second problem that Russians often face is ignorance of the rules for drawing up such complaints. This is due to the fact that the current Russian legislation has many specific features and nuances, and only a qualified specialist can understand them.
Sometimes the most insignificant mistake becomes the reason for refusal to consider a claim. For this reason, experts strongly recommend contacting an experienced lawyer who will help you correctly formulate the document, give recommendations regarding subsequent actions, and answer related questions.
Of course, today there are many companies providing legal services in the country, but contacting any of them will be accompanied by significant financial costs. Today, Russians prefer remote communication with specialists.
This is not surprising, since the effectiveness of online consultation is high, but at the same time, the help received remotely, allows Russians to achieve significant savings Money, effort and time. To communicate with a lawyer online, all you need is a computer, laptop or smartphone connected to the Internet.
Where can I file a complaint if there is no heating in my apartment?
If the heating in a private house or apartment works poorly or does not work at all, residents should take action as quickly as possible. First of all, you need to make sure that you have a document on hand confirming the absence of heat. When drawing up this act, residents, representatives of utility services and government officials must be present.
The corresponding “invitations” to housing and communal services workers and to the city administration are sent in writing through the post office. You should also ensure that you receive notification of delivery of letters. The notification will play a key role in the event that a representative of one of the structures is not present when drawing up the act. If the applicant has confirmation of the sending of the corresponding letter, then only those who are present at its formation can sign the act.
Of course, citizens have a well-founded question about where to send their complaint. First of all, a sample claim is written to the utility service that supplies the heat. If it is not possible to resolve the conflict peacefully, then Russians have the right to take radical measures and file a complaint with one of the following authorities:
- Rospotrebnadzor;
- Prosecutor's Office;
Upon receipt of a complaint, employees of the relevant structure will organize an inspection and punish the perpetrators. It is important to remember that going to court is a last resort. You should only file a lawsuit if other means of obtaining justice have failed.
Another nuance that should be taken into account concerns the material side of the conflict. If the case reaches the courts, then the injured party has the right to demand from the utility companies not only to correct the situation with the heat supply, but also to compensate for the moral damage caused.
To achieve justice in court, experts strongly recommend that citizens seek help from a specialist by issuing a power of attorney to represent their interests. If an experienced lawyer deals with this issue, this will guarantee that the interests of the citizen will be under reliable protection.
Features of filing a complaint about lack of heating
In accordance with current regulations, minimum temperature, permissible for residential premises, is 18˚С. If actual performance does not meet the established criterion, this is good reason to file a complaint. It is important to take into account that regardless of which structure the document is submitted to, it must be drawn up in compliance with the rules of the Russian language and not contain errors.
Today there is no strict template for writing a complaint about non-working heating, so the form of the document can be free. However, the claim must meet the requirements of business writing and etiquette. The text should not contain phrases with an emotional connotation, rude expressions or obscene statements. When writing a complaint, you should strive to be as concise and informative as possible. The document must also contain the following information:
- The name of the organization to which the complaint is being sent;
- The exact address of residence (if it is an apartment building, then indicate the number of residents);
- Data from the contract with the utility service;
- Description of the problem;
- Legal justification;
- Applicant's requirements;
- The time during which the complainant waits for a response;
- Date of submission of the document and signatures of the residents.
Regardless of which method is chosen to solve the problem, experts strongly recommend filing a collective complaint. If the appeal comes from several residents at once, it will be considered as quickly as possible. Most often, the period for making a decision on a case varies from 10 to 30 days.
As for the method of sending a complaint, in addition to using the services of the post office, you can write a complaint through the official Internet portal of the selected structure. If the document is drawn up in ordinary written form, then the applicant must keep a copy of it.
What to do if the batteries do not heat up?
Every year, with the onset of autumn, residents apartment buildings are entering a stressful period. To heat residential premises, a variety of household heaters are used. The level of comfort in city apartments during the cold season directly depends on the quality of heat supply services. The work often causes fair criticism from residents multi-storey buildings. Situations when there is no heating in the apartment, and the question is where to call, are quite common.
Let's try to understand the algorithm of consumer actions in cases where problems arise with heating in the apartment.
There is no heating in the apartment - steps towards solving the problem
In accordance with existing legislation, in the cold season it must comply with the parameters provided for by the standards.
For reference: The temperature in residential premises should not fall below 18 0 C, and in rooms with a corner location no less than 20 0 C. The corresponding norm is enshrined in the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 354 “On the provision of utility services to owners of residential premises in apartment buildings"from 05/06/2011
The problem may affect everyone in your home. In such cases, the solution to the issue is of a public nature, and vice versa, if the heating does not work only for you, then you will have to individually deal with the problem that has arisen.
It is possible to independently identify the cause of cold batteries and eliminate the malfunction in only one case. We are talking about if you have an air lock in your radiators. You can bleed the air from the battery on your own, or you can invite a mechanic from the management company or from the housing office to do this. For more serious heating problems, you should contact the following authorities:
- city, district housing inspection (ZHI);
- management company that maintains your home;
- a homeowners' association, which includes you, as the owner of an apartment in the same building.
Each of the listed authorities is involved in solving heating problems due to its powers, area of responsibility and responsibilities. Your activity must be adequate to the scale of the problem. If the identified malfunction is corrected central heating it is not possible at the level of the service organization; it is necessary to involve higher authorities, which are in charge of the public sector of public services.
Important! To achieve your goal, you need to contact all authorities at once. Otherwise, resolving the issue may take time. Here we must take into account the slowness bureaucratic system and the human factor.
First, let's look at filing a complaint at the very first level. If your house is serviced by a management company, call and write there; if it is an HOA, contact the chairman of the partnership.
When homeowners have direct service contracts with energy companies, the situation looks different. The victim himself will have to deal with service providers. The contract must contain a clause providing for the procedure for filing a claim. For example, a heat supplier company is ready to consider subscribers’ complaints within a specified time frame and only in writing. These points are worth paying attention to.
On a note: Any statement (complaint, claim) you make to an official organization must contain the details of the official document (date, incoming number). It is best to submit a complaint in writing and in two copies, one remains with the organization or company, the other remains with you. Without the appropriate details, without a mark indicating that the document has been accepted for consideration, your complaint will not have any legal force.
In cases where you are asked to leave a complaint by telephone, take the trouble to find out: who received your phone call and what number in the registration log is assigned to your request.
Complained - you shouldn’t sit idly by
Regardless of where exactly you turn if there is no heat in the house, the complaint itself must be drawn up on the essence of the issue. In the absence of proper heating, it is worth indicating the actual parameters temperature regime your apartment. If the temperature does not comply with SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10, request an official temperature measurement. As a rule, such appeals, drawn up in a legally competent manner, with reference to legislative norms and standards, are accepted for consideration much faster.
In accordance with current legislation, utility services have only 24 hours to eliminate technical faults in the home central heating system. Provided that the faults are local in nature. More complex technical problems must be resolved within a week, otherwise fines may be imposed on the heat supplier company, and enterprise managers may be held administratively liable.
In order to consider the complaint, a representative of the management company or housing office will come to you, who must establish the fact that the quality of heating in the apartment is inadequate or completely absent. When a company representative does not agree with your reasonable demands, raise the issue of the need to re-inspect your apartment, only this time with the participation of a representative of the housing inspection.
On a note: The law does not prohibit you from inviting an independent expert - a specialist in the field of thermal energy - for such an examination.
Based on the results of the inspection, he draws up an act, which is an official document for your further struggle with public utilities.
If there is no proper response to your complaint from the management company, housing office or service provider company, you need to call Rospotrebnadzor, the local antimonopoly service authority, city and district authorities. Extreme case– file a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office. When you already have in your hands a drawn up Act on the non-compliance of the temperature regime in the apartment with SanPiNam, you can go to court with a claim for compensation for losses and moral damage.
To receive complaints and complaints from citizens during the heating season, the housing inspectorate must operate a hotline, calls to which are accepted around the clock. Today, many official authorities are introducing systems for electronic processing of documents received from citizens. A complaint about central heating can be submitted electronically. The situation with Rospotrebnadzor is as follows. Only a written complaint in which you indicate the reason for your complaints and the details of the service company will take effect. Rospotrebnadzor has quite a lot of leverage on business entities that violate existing standards legislation in the field of provision of public services. This is especially true for companies providing heat supply to housing and infrastructure in the winter.
Based on everything written above, when there is no heating in the apartment, you should not panic. By observing the form, timing and order of application, you can achieve tangible results. Typically, utility workers try to quickly eliminate interruptions in the operation of the central heating system, both at the apartment level and on the scale of a district or block. Collective complaint filed by homeowners apartment building, has a better chance of quickly solving your heating problem.
Heat / Radiators
The first frosts occurred in Moscow and the Moscow region at night. The colder weather and approaching frosts are a reason to urgently think about the temperature in the apartment. What are the responsibilities of utility workers regarding heating in your apartment and who to call if your radiators are cold?
It’s cold in the apartment: GOSTs and standards
By sanitary standards, the temperature in the apartment should be from 18 to 25 degrees. Thus, according to GOST R 51617-2000 (room temperature standards), in living rooms it should be about 18-20 degrees Celsius, in the bathroom, shower or toilet - up to 25 degrees. In the corner rooms of apartments, the air temperature should be another 2 degrees higher.
Who is responsible for ensuring that the apartments are not cold?
Heating is a public service, and you pay money to maintain a certain air temperature in your living space. If this service is of poor quality, you, as a consumer, have the right not to pay for heating services at all.
If it’s cold in your apartment, you urgently need to write a complaint to your management company. A commission will be sent to you that will identify the reasons for the low temperature in the apartment. Utilities are required to fix everything on average within 1 to 7 days.
Where to complain in Moscow if it’s cold in the apartment?
If a complaint to the management company does not bring results, you can contact one of the operating hotlines.
On October 8, the hotline of the Public Chamber of Russia began operating. You can complain about poor heating or poor heat supply to apartments by calling 8-800-700-8-800 from any region of the country. Complaints are accepted from 9.00 to 19.00.
“The infrastructure is in a terrible state: boiler houses are now 80% depleted, pipes are breaking all the time. Utility services do not have time to put all this in order over the summer. Preparing for the heating season turns into a battle. Relevant government agencies are also trying to control the situation, public organizations. The Public Chamber also cannot stand aside,” said Svetlana Razvorotneva, Chairman of the RF OP Commission on Local Self-Government and Housing and Communal Policy.
Is it cold in the apartment? Call the hotline!
If you have problems with heating, in Moscow you can call the heating hotline of your district's housing inspection inspection.
- Central - 8 (495) 360-20-53
- Northern - 8 (499) 158-13-34
- North-Eastern - 8 (495) 656-68-17
- Eastern - 8 (499) 268-38-36
- South-East - 8 (499) 784-92-13
- Yuzhny — 8 (499 ) 619-63-05
- South-West - 8 (495) 310-51-27
- Western - 8 (495) 416-60-21
- North-West - 8 (499) 192-98-17
- Zelenogradsky - 8 (499) 732-35-33
- Troitsky and Novomoskovsky - 8 (495) 715-78-81
Also, in case of problems with heating, you can contact the hotline of the Moscow Housing Inspectorate for emergency issues of central heating, roof leaks and long-term interruptions in the operation of hot and cold water supply systems (24 hours a day):
- 8 (495 ) 681-77-80
- 8 (495 ) 681-21-45
- 8 (495 ) 681-20-54
You can also complain to the Moscow Fuel and Energy Department, on whose website there is an electronic reception. You can fill out a special form around the clock, and find out about the fate of your complaint by calling the office - (495) 694-00-70 on weekdays from 8.00 to 17.00.
On the Moscow government’s Internet portal “Our City Moscow” (gorod.mos.ru) you can leave a complaint in the “Apartment buildings” section.
The Moscow United Energy Company (MOEK) also accepts complaints. It is necessary to report accidents, steam release and other problems in the heat and water supply system to the hotline (by phone - (495) 662-50-50). In addition, the operators " hotline» MOEK will also answer questions related to the difficulties of paying for heating and hot water.
