They will take the house or apartment: utility debts can deprive Ukrainians of property.

According to Ukrainian legislation, citizens are required to pay for utilities even during wartime. If an elderly person has debts for utilities, there are several options for resolving them. The most convenient way is to negotiate debt restructuring, where the debt is divided into smaller parts that must be paid off over 5 years. But if a person refuses restructuring or fails to meet the terms of the agreements, utility services may sue them to recover the full debt.

In particular, the court may decide to impose a lien on the debtor's property, block their bank accounts to recover funds for debt repayment (leaving at least the minimum subsistence level) or confiscate their property if the debt exceeds 160 thousand hryvnias.

Confiscation of housing is a last resort. Certain conditions must also be met for this. The debt must exceed 160,000 hryvnias, the debtor should not have other assets or property to repay the debt, and if this is the only residential apartment of the person, it is usually not taken. Other measures are initially taken, such as freezing bank accounts.

In practice, confiscation of housing occurs rarely and becomes real only in cases where the debt corresponds to the value of the housing. Such situations are very rare.

It is also worth paying attention to the following points:

• Payment for utilities is mandatory, even during wartime.
• From 2024, fines and penalties will be charged.
• The penalty can amount to up to 0.01% of the debt amount for each day of delay, but it cannot exceed the debt itself.

Forced debt collection that arose after February 24, 2022, in combat or occupied territories is prohibited. It is also impossible to stop the supply of utilities in such regions.

Let us remind you who may lose benefits for utility services in 2025.