A situation that comes up regularly in practice. Several people are registered in one apartment, but each leads a separate financial life. One resident has a divided billing account and a spotless payment record. The others have accumulated nearly half a million roubles in utility arrears, active enforcement proceedings with the bailiffs, and empty bank accounts.
A resettlement under the renovation programme is coming. The big fears: will those 400,000 roubles of debt follow the move? Will the bailiffs start deducting money from the responsible resident’s account all over again?
Here is the legal picture.
Will the Debts Move Into the New Apartment?
No. Under Article 153 of the Russian Housing Code, the obligation to pay for housing and utilities is personal — it attaches to a specific individual, not to a property or an address. Utility debts follow the person who incurred them, not the square metres they lived in.
When residents move into a new apartment under the renovation programme, a new billing account is opened for that address. The management company or the unified settlement centre (EIRC) has no legal basis to transfer 400,000 roubles of your co-residents’ old debt onto that new account. Any attempt to do so contradicts the Housing Code and can be challenged in court.
Will the Bailiffs Start Collecting From the Responsible Resident Again?
For old debts — no. Court judgments on accumulated arrears have already been issued against specific named debtors. If your billing account was separated by court order, you bear no liability for someone else’s debts.
There is, however, a real risk going forward. If the management company opens one shared billing account for the entire apartment after the move, you could find yourself in the same boat as the non-paying residents all over again.
Three Steps at Move-In
Step 1. Request Separate Payment Documents Immediately
When completing the paperwork for your new home, file a request with the management company (or EIRC) for separate payment documents straight away. Attach the court order from your old address that established the split billing. That order creates a binding legal precedent — the court already determined that your payment obligations are separate from your co-residents’.
Step 2. Pay Only Your Share
If the management company issues a single shared invoice anyway, do not wait for the situation to resolve itself. Pay exactly your fraction of the bill (for example, one third). In the payment reference field, state clearly: “Utility payment for [full name], 1/3 share, [month/year].” This is your documentary protection — if a dispute ever reaches court, you can prove that you met your obligation properly.
Step 3. File a Claim to Split the Billing Account at the New Address
In parallel with the move, initiate court proceedings at the new address. Under Article 155 of the Housing Code and clause 27 of Supreme Court Plenum Resolution No. 22 of 27 June 2017, each co-owner is entitled to request a separate agreement and a separate payment document proportionate to their ownership share. Courts routinely grant such claims.
The existing court order from your old apartment will make the new case significantly easier — the court will take into account that the payment arrangement was already established and approved.
What to Do If the Management Company Violates Your Rights
If the management company or EIRC includes other residents’ debts in your invoices, or refuses to split the account without a lawful basis, that is grounds for a complaint to the State Housing Inspectorate and a lawsuit. For a real-case breakdown of how management companies can be held financially accountable, see The Management Company Pays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can bailiffs seize the new apartment for a co-resident’s debts? No. Asset seizure is only available for the debtor’s own obligations. Your share in the apartment can only be seized for your own personal debts — not for debts belonging to someone else registered in the same property.
Can a billing account be split without going to court? In principle, yes — if all owners reach an agreement with the management company voluntarily. But if any resident objects, or the management company refuses, a court order is the only route.
What if we are given separate apartments at resettlement? That is the ideal outcome: each person gets a fresh billing account with a clean slate. The other residents’ debts remain their personal problem and have no connection to your new home.
What if the EIRC transfers the old debt to the new account? Start with a written complaint to the EIRC, citing Article 153 of the Housing Code and demanding the removal of the debt. If they ignore it — file a complaint with the State Housing Inspectorate and bring a claim in the district court.
Who has the right to stay in the apartment regardless of what happens to ownership? Resettlement can raise questions about who may lawfully remain registered in a property. For a guide to residents whose right to stay cannot be removed, see Permanent Residents: 7 People Who Can Never Be Evicted.
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The law protects those who assert their rights. Someone else’s debts are the problem of the people who incurred them — and the bailiffs’. If you need help splitting a billing account or disputing a management company’s actions, submit a request.