Exemption from paying for housing and communal services for damaged and destroyed housing: a draft law has been registered in the Verkhovna Rada

On April 04, 2025, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine registered draft law No. 13155^[1], which proposes to regulate at the legislative level the issue of exemption of homeowners from paying for housing and communal services in the case of damage or destruction of housing that makes it impossible to use it further - for the period of its restoration.

Context

Currently, the law only provides for the exemption of consumers from paying penalties and fines in the case of default on housing and utility payments. At the same time, consumers are not exempt from paying for housing and communal services.

In the explanatory note the draft law states that some managers, chairmen of the boards of housing cooperatives and condominium associations continue to charge fees for housing services to owners or co-owners of destroyed or damaged property.

Proposed changes

The draft law provides for the introduction of a separate procedure for calculating utility bills for the period of martial law and for one year after its termination for owners and co-owners of damaged or destroyed housing.

In the event of damage or destruction of an apartment building as a result of hostilities, which caused the destruction of apartments, non-residential premises or certain parts of the common property that make it impossible to further operate the building or pose a threat to the life, health and/or property of co-owners, such owners and co-owners are exempt from paying for housing and communal services.

The fact of destruction is established on the basis of a notification from a local government body based on the results of an inspection of the damaged or destroyed objects. Such a notification is sent to the tax authority at the location of the damaged/destroyed real estate object, utility providers, managers of apartment buildings, housing cooperatives, condominiums, and is the basis for suspending the accrual of utility bills. In case of damage

or destruction of property that makes it impossible to use it for its intended purpose, the accrual of payments for housing and communal services shall be suspended for the period until its restoration.

IMPORTANT

The draft law has not yet been adopted and has not entered into force. If adopted in the proposed version, the document will enter into force three months after its official publication.

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC) will continue to monitor the progress of the draft law and its adoption process and will provide updates on the PravoVsim portal.

^[1] Draft law on Amendments to certain laws of Ukraine concerning the calculation of payment for housing and utility services and accounting for losses due to damage or destruction of real estate the accrual of payments for housing and communal services shall be suspended for the period until its restoration.