Utility Debts: When They May Not Be Collected and the Consequences of Non-Payment

Debt for housing and communal services remains one of the most acute financial problems for Ukrainian families. The reasons for accumulating debts are most often a decrease in income, forced departure from the place of residence, staying abroad, or errors in accounting for consumed services.

According to the State Statistics Service, at the beginning of 2026, the total debt of the population for communal services exceeded 100 billion hryvnias.

Can utility debts be written off?

Recently, debt collection mechanisms have become stricter. After the cancellation of the provision that during martial law suspended the statute of limitations, communal enterprises intensified efforts to collect debts through the courts, including for previous years.

At the same time, Ukrainian legislation does not provide for automatic write-off of utility debts. However, in some cases, charges may be reviewed or reduced.

The most common option is restructuring, which allows distributing the debt amount over a long period and paying it in installments.

Additionally, if a residential building or apartment was damaged or destroyed as a result of hostilities, after documenting such circumstances, payment for certain services may not be charged. To do this, it is necessary to confirm the damage through local government authorities or the "Diia" service and notify the service providers.

A separate procedure applies to housing in temporarily occupied territories or in areas of active hostilities. In such cases, payment for a significant portion of communal services is usually not charged.

Legislation also allows requesting a recalculation for certain services if the owner or residents were absent from the dwelling for more than 30 days. This may concern water supply, gas supply, electricity, and household waste removal.

At the same time, payment for heating and maintenance of apartment buildings remains mandatory even in the absence of residents.

After how many years old debts may lose relevance

According to Article 257 of the Civil Code of Ukraine, the general statute of limitations is three years. This means that service providers can usually apply to the court to recover debts that arose within the last three years.

Debts for earlier periods may be excluded from the dispute, but only under certain conditions.

If the consumer acknowledged the debt, paid at least part of the amount, or concluded a restructuring agreement, the statute of limitations period starts anew.

Moreover, the court does not apply the statute of limitations automatically. The debtor must independently claim it during the case consideration.

What to do if the debt has already accumulated

Experts advise not to wait for lawsuits and to resolve the problem in advance. To do this, it is necessary to prepare a package of documents, including a passport, identification code, housing documents, and income confirmation.

After that, you should contact each service provider separately and submit an application for debt restructuring.

In practice, most enterprises agree to split the debt into several payments that can be paid over several years simultaneously with current charges.

It is also worth remembering subsidies. If the amount of overdue debt exceeds the established threshold, housing subsidies may be suspended. At the same time, after restructuring is arranged, the right to state assistance is usually restored.

The consequences of ignoring utility debts

The most serious consequences arise after the service provider goes to court. Many cases regarding utility debts are considered in a simplified procedure by issuing a court order without holding court hearings or summoning the parties.

As a result, the debtor often learns about the decision only after enforcement proceedings have begun.

After that, a state or private bailiff may freeze bank accounts, forcibly withdraw funds to repay the debt, and add the person to the Unified Register of Debtors.

Having such a status complicates obtaining loans, negatively affects financial reputation, and may create additional restrictions when resolving property issues. In some cases, debts may also be grounds for restricting travel outside Ukraine.

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