What is a housing office, what are its responsibilities and functions? All about the housing maintenance office will be described in this article.
What is a housing office?
The term "housing maintenance office" itself was outdated in the Russian Federation as early as 2005, but is still relevant in some post-Soviet states. Having appeared in 1959, the organization in question was mainly engaged in the improvement of local territories. Today, Housing Office is an unofficial name for the household. In principle, any management company that performs its labor functions in the field of housing and communal services can be called a housing office.
Today, the Housing Office is a place of daily heated debate between residents and managers. There probably is no more controversial and problematic organization than the one presented in this article. What is the reason for this? For the most part - with the incompetence of the managers of the house building. However, residents located in the serviced area should have a slightly greater legal culture in dealing with housing offices. It is about what is possible and what should not be required from the housing and communal services, and we will discuss further.
About free services ZhEKa
Many residents submit an application to the Housing Office in order for the house management to carry out a number of free public works.
What exactly belongs here? Federal legislation in the field of housing and communal services assigns the following responsibilities to management house structures, which are considered free:
- Maintenance, namely repair and maintenance of the exterior facade of residential buildings. This may include work on the sealing of various kinds of cracks, joints, damaged areas of the facade, and more. We should not forget in the housing office about the insulation of walls, the replacement of drains and the strengthening of visors with a railing.
- Roof and sewer works. If in more detail, then this can include roof repair, attic insulation, replacement of old or damaged drainage elements, and more.
- Works with doors and windows. Replacement of glasses, pens, latches and other elements.
- High-quality repair work with floors: their insulation, waterproofing, painting and much more.
- Sanitary cleaning work, namely sweeping, mopping, stairs, walls, ceilings, elevators, etc.
About paid services ZhEKa
You should be especially careful here.
As a rule, it is precisely because of the availability of paid services in most home administrations that conflicts arise with residents. Many citizens simply do not understand and do not want to accept the fact that ZhEK is a structure that provides not only free services for taxes paid by residents. What exactly can be highlighted here?
- Carrying out glass and carpentry work. In particular, it is worth noting the repair of fillings between windows and doors, the replacement of door handles and locks, the repair of floor coverings (namely coatings, i.e. linoleum, parquet, boards, etc.).
- Carrying out electrical work. Repair and replacement of switches, wiring, shields and counters, cartridges, etc.
- Any plumbing work.
Thus, the ZhEK district is able to provide some paid services. You can conclude a contract for their provision in a special organization located at the place of residence.
About the replacement by ZhEK of technical means
It is especially worth considering in detail those household items that are in common use that the housing office is obliged to replace for free.
Despite the fact that many are unlikely to ever take advantage of such functions, it is still worth recalling the free duties of the Housing Office. So, according to the legislation, the house manager is obliged to replace:
- stoves - gas or electric (over 20 years old);
- entrance doors (over 40 years old);
- flushing cisterns and toilet bowls (over 20 years old);
- bathtubs - steel or cast iron (over 30 years old);
- water-folding cranes (over 10 years old);
- wooden frames (over 40 years old).
And some other things. Lonely elderly people living in extremely poor conditions should be aware of the list provided. By law, a housing office is an organization whose responsibilities include the replacement of all of the above elements.
About Maintenance
Housing office is obliged to provide quality maintenance of residential buildings in accordance with the following criteria:
- Central heating. This may include turning off the radiators in the event of a leak, flushing the heating system, eliminating the resulting air jams, carrying out work on the insulation of pipelines in attics or in basements.
- Sewer and plumbing systems. Here it is worth highlighting such types of work as eliminating the resulting leaks, replacing gaskets, sealing works, full cleaning of cold or hot water pipes.
- Power supply. Housing office is obliged to change lamps in a timely manner, strengthen shades, carry out all necessary work with wiring.
Thus, the Housing Office at the address of the serviced persons is obliged to carry out at least all of the above types of work.
About emergency service: heating and sewage
In addition to technical, the Housing Office is also obliged to carry out special emergency services. This includes all the same household spheres as in maintenance; however, the functions of the house management organization are already somewhat different. In particular, in the field of heating, it is worth highlighting:
- replacement of obsolete or damaged valves, as well as repair work with them;
- leak elimination due to sealing of fittings, pipes and other devices;
- replacement of plumbing;
- welding works with water supply;
- installation of air cranes.
Etc. If we take into account sewage and water supply, then the housing office is obliged to carry out the following functions:
- change individual taps, mixers, sinks and other fittings;
- change and repair the nodes of the heating columns;
- eliminate sewage blockages;
- perform welding work with the pipeline.
About emergency services: power supply and emergency response
What is ZhEK obliged to do in the field of water supply? Here is what a special normative act prescribes:
- work with faulty sections of electric networks (with the exception of electric networks in apartments);
- work on the replacement of fusible inserts in the shields;
- replacement shields;
- repair or replacement of failed machines, switches and other energy management mechanisms;
- replacement or repair of lamps, as well as burners, ovens, fixed stoves, etc.
It is especially worth highlighting the actions of housing and communal services in emergency situations. So, the employees of the housing office at the address of the house where the accident occurred, should immediately:
- pump out water from the basement;
- dig trenches if necessary;
- open the floors, make holes or grooves over the pipes;
- disconnect risers etc.
Procedure for contacting the Housing Office
Most citizens, unfortunately, have not learned how to draw up a competent application in the Housing Office. How exactly and in what cases is it necessary to fill out an application in the structure under consideration? About it further.
The easiest option today is a simple phone call. The housekeeping manager will listen to all the requirements and give a clear answer when, where and how all the necessary actions will be carried out. It is also worth noting that the housing and communal services telephone is always indicated in payment receipts from the same housing office. Here it is worth giving citizens one simple piece of advice: always find out by phone the name and name of the dispatcher. Oddly enough, but in many conflict situations this simple step can play in favor of the tenant.
How else can I apply for a housing office? Moscow, for example, as well as a number of other large cities, has housing facilities with its own website. It is on the site that it is possible to describe the problem in detail and send it to the address.
And finally, the easiest and most effective option is to go to the nearest housing office and fill out a written application. As a rule, this method is the most effective. Especially when several tenants draw up the necessary application at once.
Complaint
As mentioned above, often conflicts with housing office can not be avoided. The fact is that housing is not a purely commercial structure, and therefore is not particularly interested in the high-quality performance of its duties. Probably, every citizen should have a high legal culture, especially when it comes to house management. How can one competently resolve a conflict with a housing office?
If the claim of the claimants remained unsatisfied within two days, it is worth filing a complaint. It is submitted in duplicate, in each of which the essence of the problem is briefly but voluminously described. Of course, if you haven’t responded to the complaint, you can contact more serious bodies, for example, the housing and communal services department. In the most extreme case, you can draw up a lawsuit in court.
Every citizen should know how to contact the Housing Office at the address of the house. Moscow, St. Petersburg and other large cities have, as a rule, the population is more competent and responsible. However, all residents of the country should take the problem of housing services more seriously. The quality work of the housing and communal services depends, oddly enough, only on the population, namely on the number of applications, complaints, lawsuits, etc. All these papers will definitely make the housing office work much better.