Some management companies may profit from residents' inattention by adding services to payment documents that are not actually performed. Dmitry Bondar, a public figure and expert in housing and communal services, explained how to recognize such schemes and avoid paying extra for utilities.

One of the most common schemes is the so-called "ghost services." The minimum list of works for the maintenance of common property includes deratization, disinsection, ventilation inspection, and minor repairs. According to documents, such works can be carried out regularly, and the acts are signed by a "pocket" chairman of the house council, the expert said. But in reality, residents may not see these works for years.

The same situation may apply to resources for the maintenance of common property. The management company can issue bills higher than the actual costs.

Another way to get additional income is to use the common property of the house. Basements, attics, facades, and walls in elevators belong to the apartment owners. If advertising banners are placed there, the money for this can go to the common house accounts.

However, according to the expert, sometimes management companies conclude such agreements on their own behalf and keep the funds for themselves. Also, additional lines may appear in the payment receipts, for example, for video surveillance or security.

At the same time, no additional payments can be included in the receipts without a decision of the general meeting of owners. This is provided for by Articles 44 and 46 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. But, as Bondar noted, sometimes the minutes of such meetings can be forged.

Many residents do not notice overpayments because the amounts seem small – an additional 50–100 rubles per apartment per month does not raise suspicions. But if it is a large house, such amounts can turn into hundreds of thousands of rubles per year.

To check the work of the management company, the expert advises requesting a report on the execution of the management agreement for the past year, acts of completed works, a register of agreements on the use of common property, and copies of the minutes of general meetings.

If the documents state, for example, that wet cleaning of stairwells is carried out 12 times a month, but in reality it is done once every six months, this can be a reason to contact the housing inspection and demand a refund of the overpayment, Bondar summarized.