Housing maintenance fees: why an increase is essential for the effective operation of homeowners' associations.

According to Bibigul Junuspaeva, the issue of insufficient funding is particularly relevant for the aging housing stock and requires immediate attention.

"I will speak about my area, where most of the buildings — are part of the old housing stock. We have houses that were built back in the 1930s. Unfortunately, the older the houses, the lower the maintenance tariffs. In our area, the tariffs range from 25 to 40 tenge per square meter, but this is clearly insufficient," — Bibigul Junuspaeva notes.

She added that such tariffs do not allow for proper maintenance of the buildings, necessary repairs, and the provision of comfortable living conditions for residents. Those living in buildings with minimal tariffs face particularly tough circumstances, as funds barely cover basic needs.

During a recent meeting, Bibigul Junuspaeva thoroughly discussed the costs of maintaining a building with the residents. She provided specific figures: to service a two-room apartment, the owner pays only 1100 tenge per month for the homeowners' association (HOA), whereas the maintenance of a single intercom door costs 500-550 tenge. Consequently, these expenses do not cover all necessary repair and maintenance work.

"The HOA includes a whole range of services: maintenance of engineering networks, electricity, minor repairs, and staff salaries. All of this requires significant funds. However, with the current tariff, we cannot even carry out the most basic tasks, let alone major repairs," — she explained.

Bibigul Junuspaeva particularly emphasized the rise in prices for construction materials. For instance, the shut-off valves needed to prepare homes for winter have increased in price by 30% in just the past year. At the same time, housing maintenance tariffs in Almaty were last approved in 2010, which makes them extremely outdated for current conditions.

"Construction materials are getting more expensive, workers' wages are increasing, yet tariffs remain unchanged. This leads to inadequate quality of maintenance for buildings, and the employees who perform the work are facing difficulties in providing for their families," — noted the chairperson of the Association.

In Bibigul Junuspaeva's opinion, an increase in the minimum HOA tariff has long been overdue. One option, she stated, is to raise the tariff at a general meeting of residents. However, as practice shows, convincing residents of the necessity of increasing the tariff can be extremely challenging.

"People do not always understand where their money goes. It is essential to clearly define which works are mandatory for the normal functioning of the building and to outline the pricing policy. It is also important to consider that each building is unique and requires a different level of maintenance," — she added.

Bibigul Junuspaeva emphasizes the importance of adjusting the tariff policy in Almaty. Given the rising prices for materials and labor, as well as the wear and tear of the housing stock, increasing the tariff for the maintenance of apartment buildings is a necessary step to improve living conditions for residents and to keep buildings in a safe and comfortable state.