“We can spend two years not paying for the meter.” A family from Minsk shared the experience of repairing rental housing

Recently, the terms of rent have become even more attractive: if the tenant has made repairs to the housing, he can be temporarily exempt from payment for the use of meters. But, as in any case, there are nuances. Olga Aleshko from Minsk shared her experience.

In six months Olga Aleshko was born and raised in Minsk. Having reached the age of majority, she began to register those in need of improved housing conditions. However, at some point I realized that it would not be possible to resolve the issue quickly, and I began to look for alternative options:

- From time to time she studied information about the availability of rental housing on the website of the administration of the Central district of Minsk, where she was registered. Some apartments were offered with the condition of repairs at the expense of the employer, and the site immediately indicated the estimate to understand how much money will have to invest. Someone such an offer might scare off, they say, why should take on additional obligations. But I reasoned that the apartment in any case would want to upgrade after the previous tenants, and here the state offers to do it at the expense of rent. That's great!

On August 19, Olga and her husband and son received the keys to a two-bedroom apartment in the Vesnyanka microdistrict. The place is very lucky, the owner of the rental meters is sure:

- My parents live within walking distance. And the area itself is very green, near the Drozda reservoir, within walking distance - shops and large shopping centers, good transport infrastructure.

Together with a five-year lease agreement, an estimate was handed over: everything is clearly spelled out and on points - even a layman will understand. The total amount is slightly more than 15 thousand rubles, and both the cost of buying building materials and the cost of performing works are taken into account. The main condition is to meet six months. But Olga and her husband managed faster - in two. After the repair is completed, a commission comes to the employer, which assesses the changes, checking with the estimate, takes pictures of the situation. Then you need to wait for the decision of the Executive Committee, so that the money spent on repairs, went to the offset of rent. In the apartment where Olga's family settled, there is still a smell of fresh renovation. There is a new linoleum on the floor, beautiful wallpaper on the walls. There's a white plumber in the bathroom. A new electric stove has not yet been fully unpacked in the kitchen.

The rooms are spacious: one was taken under the parents’ bedroom, the other was given to a teenage son. While the family is in the stage of moving, the apartment does not look very habitable: not all things are dismantled, somewhere you have to buy furniture. But the couple decided not to rush and move before everything is ready.

So that we can compare what the apartment looked like before, Olga shows a photo on her phone. The impression, of course, is depressing: on the wall in the bathroom there is a mold spot, the wallpaper is torn off in places. But most of all got the electric tile: on all surfaces - frozen splashes of fat and oil plaque. Olga admits that when she first crossed the threshold of the apartment, she experienced a slight shock: the housing clearly needed updating.

- For example, we were not required to install interior doors – it was enough to paint them and replace the handles. Plumbing equipment was only partially replaced. By the way, if you want to go beyond the budget and make repairs richer, you can write a statement for improvement. How does it work? For example, the document stated that the ceilings should be painted. However, estimating that the installation of a stretch ceiling will cost plus or minus the same price, we decided to dwell on this option and wrote a statement on improving conditions.

To perform the work, Olga and her husband decided to attract workers: some remade linoleum, others glued wallpaper and performed painting work, others installed stretch ceilings. Ahead of the family still a lot of hassle associated with moving and “equipping” space. Olga already imagines how to equip the hallway, what lockers she will hang in the kitchen and what she will order in the bedroom

Now let's get to the numbers. Rent an apartment – 650 rubles per month, which is at least twice less than in the commercial market of rental housing. If you divide the total amount of repair costs (15,511 rubles 67 kopecks) by 650 rubles, it turns out that the family will be able to live in an apartment for almost two years without paying rent.

TOLD YOU

Alexey Kotenev, Deputy Director for Legal and Housing at Minsk City Hostels:

- The norms of the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 38 "On the peculiarities of providing and using rental housing" of 27.01.2025 provide for the possibility of providing citizens with rental housing with the condition of performing repair work in it at the expense of the employer. Repair is carried out according to the estimated documentation drawn up by the organization-balanceholder. In this case, the employer can perform the work himself or with the involvement of other persons. Important nuance: repair must be confirmed no later than six months from the date of conclusion of the contract of employment. The decree provides for the possibility of replacing types of work and (or) materials by written agreement with the balance-holding organization. At the same time, they should not worsen the estimated options for finishing housing. Employers are exempted from rent on the basis of the decision of the district administration, agreed with the Minsk City Executive Committee, for the amount of repair costs. In 2025-2026, 289 residents of Minsk signed such lease agreements.

derzhanovich@sb.by

Photo by Maria Amelina and from Olga Aleshko's personal archive