Do I need an intercom. The procedure for installing and paying for an intercom in an apartment building

As soon as the doors appeared in our homes, the question: "Who is there?" began to sound from behind the doors constantly. In order to see the guest, the doors were equipped with viewing holes, and later with door "eyes", and even later they were replaced by an intercom. If the guest's face was familiar to us, the doors would open immediately, otherwise, the usual question sounded.

Intercom - is it necessary or not?
Doors of today have a peephole and a bell by default. However, even this seemed not enough - intercoms appeared. - a device that combines the properties of a telephone and a peephole, so to speak. Let me explain in more detail, now, to find out who is behind the door, which, by the way, may be in the common vestibule, it is not necessary to shout “who is there”, it is enough to pick up the intercom and ask in a normal voice. Moreover, modern intercoms are equipped with a camera, so in addition to the guest's voice, you will see him.

In this article I will try to answer the question of whether you need an intercom. This article will be useful to those who have not yet decided on their decision.

So, such points can speak in favor of installing an intercom.

1. You live in a multi-storey building and the doors of your entrance are locked with a key. And then guests came to you, using a mobile connection, they notified you that they were already under the entrance of your house. Now you need to quickly go downstairs and open the locked entrance door, and let the guests in. Agree, this is extremely inconvenient, especially if you need to leave a small child unattended in the apartment, even for a short time. What if the elevator gets stuck…. well, you know what I mean.

2. You have a vestibule (part of the corridor that is fenced off by a door) shared with your neighbors. In other words, to see and let your guests in, you need to unlock the door to your apartment, then go out into the vestibule (corridor) and open the door to the entrance.

3. If you have a private house and the area is fenced.

4. If you have double doors or doors with good soundproofing, such that your question is "who is there?" just won't hear.

5. If you were not at home, but they came to you. This point needs to be explained in more detail. Modern models of intercoms contain a video camera, which, after pressing the call button by the guest, starts recording to the internal memory or removable memory card. After you return home, on the intercom screen, you will see a notification about the number of records that you can view right there on the screen or on a device convenient for you. I will say even more, there are models of intercoms that will send a photo of your guest to your specified mobile phone!

To the points that can be attributed to the minus of the intercom, only two come to mind.

1. The high cost of devices, especially from point 5 (pluses)

2. Some construction work is required (lay wiring, make a series of holes in the wall or door).

That's probably all. Read, think and make an informed decision.

The question of the need for a video intercom in an apartment has been considered for several years. Previously, such funds were available exclusively to wealthy people, but with the development of technology and the reduction in production costs, as well as with the general increase in the income of the population, this device can be purchased by any owner of an apartment. Therefore, the problem of its relevance today is more acute than ever.

"Pros and cons"

The controversy between the supporters of the device and its opponents continues. What arguments do the parties make and how weighty are they?

Opponents note that this device is just an unnecessary toy, with which the owner of the apartment will play for some time and forget, like many other technological innovations. The same smartphones are given as an example. After all, most people do not use even 30% of all their capabilities.

However, there is a weighty argument here from the supporters of video intercoms. Of course, such equipment can be viewed as a toy, but in fact, comparing this technology with a smartphone is not entirely correct.

Indeed, modern phones have a ton of features that we don't use. But none of them concern our personal safety or the protection of loved ones. And the video intercom allows you to control access to the apartment. Accordingly, this is not just a toy, but a very useful device that will sooner or later save property and not only.

Yes, modern video intercoms have a lot of functions that may seem really useless at first glance (by analogy with the same smartphones), but this is a matter of taste. In addition, such equipment is being developed and constantly modernized, including with the participation of security specialists. And if they believe that, for example, a modern video intercom should record, then this has its own truth.

Another argument against using video intercoms is that most people have strong doors and a peephole. This allows you to deter the intruder and see the visitor.

However, ordinary eyes are always in sight. And the camera in the call panel is invisible. Some visitors will not even know that the landlord is seeing them. An ordinary peephole is easily closed with a thumb or chewing gum. This maneuver negates its advantages.

Finally, the video intercom, thanks to the use of infrared illumination in the call panel, allows you to see the visitor at any time of the day and in any light. The standard optical peephole does not have such luxury. If the entrance is dark, its efficiency is 0.

There is also an opinion that the money spent on the video intercom could be saved to install more "fancy alarm". But this point of view also does not stand up to scrutiny. The fact is that the alarm works when the owner is not at home. The video intercom provides security at the moment when the owner of the apartment or his household is inside.

As you can see, none of the theses of the opponents of modern technologies stand up to criticism. And in fact, with the installation of a video intercom, many solve security issues once and for all. Such devices are reliable, durable and easy to operate. Elderly people or children can be taught how to use a video intercom.

An intercom is now available at the front door in almost every entrance of every self-respecting high-rise building. Someone uses only the key, most of the apartments have intercoms. However, not all Volgograd residents have a contract for the maintenance of the intercom system. And it depends on whether or not it is available whether you have to pay and when. This question usually arises after the intercom breaks down, the electronic key stops opening the front door or it is impossible to get through to the apartment. The nuances of paying for the intercom were explained by the management specialists Rospotrebnadzor in the Volgograd region.

Usually intercoms are installed in the entrances for free, they take money only for the keys. And then you receive monthly or quarterly receipts for payment for service and maintenance of the intercom. Someone pays for them without hesitation, someone throws out bills, believing that they owe nothing to anyone. Until the intercom breaks down. And then sometimes it turns out that in order to eliminate the malfunction, you need to pay the existing debt or pay for repairs.

THERE IS A CONTRACT

In most cases, intercom companies conclude contracts for the maintenance of equipment not with each resident individually, but one general contract for the entrance, - explained "KP-Volgograd" in Rospotrebnadzor. - The tenants express their consent to the conclusion of such an agreement by putting their signature and passport data in the annex to the agreement.

A few years later, few people can remember whether such a contract was or not. But this does not negate the fact itself. So even if you do not use a communication tube inside your apartment, you will have to pay. A contract is a contract. And the intercom system is a set of equipment that is not limited to only one communication tube.

Usually, if there is a contract, then a specific surname is indicated in the receipts sent.

NO CONTRACT

If the payer's full name does not appear in the payment order, this may well mean that the intercom company does not have information about your apartment and you did not participate in the conclusion of the contract. If this is true, then the receipts are nothing more than a public offer.

By paying for such receipts, you agree to receive the service. The offer is valid for one quarter or one month (depending on the charging period). You also have the right not to pay the receipt, that is, not to accept the offer. Debt on such receipts cannot be formed, experts explain.

So, if there is no contract between you and the company, you have no obligation to pay for services and debts. But the intercom company has no obligations to you either. And, in order to call the wizard to troubleshoot, you will have to pay for the service according to the price list, having received a receipt, agreement or other document confirming payment.

If you have evidence of deliberate shutdown of equipment, or if you have legal grounds to receive service for the maintenance of the intercom free of charge, then you have the right to apply to law enforcement agencies and the court for the restoration of violated rights, - the lawyers clarify.

Free access to the entrance of an apartment building interferes with the quiet residence of the apartment owners. In the cold season, such entrances often become a haven for noisy groups of teenagers or a place of lodging for people without a fixed abode. The war of residents with intruders can sometimes end in tragedy.

In order to ensure the safety of living in an apartment building, intercoms are installed. The legal issues of holding this event cause disputes and contradictions between apartment owners. Let's figure out how to install an intercom in an apartment building in accordance with the law.

If not everyone needs an intercom

Installation of an intercom begins with a general meeting of residents of the whole house. The decision on the need to install the device is made if there is a positive answer from more than half of the total number of owners.

Among the inhabitants there are always those who are against the installation. Often these are pensioners who feel sorry for money. There are also tenants who believe that restricting access to the entrance violates their rights. They are not going to install the pipe at home, and it is not very convenient for them to run downstairs to let their guests in.

Despite the refusal to install an intercom of some owners (if there are less than 50%), the decision will be considered positive.

Who will install

After deciding on the installation, the tenants have the following question "At whose expense is the intercom installed?" The answer to this question can be found based on the way you manage your home.

Directly by the owners of the apartments. In this case, all owners independently find an organization that installs intercoms. They conclude a contract with her and pay all the costs of installing the device and additional amounts associated with the installation of intercom pipes in the apartment and the purchase of keys. If the door in the stairwell is old, the installation of a new entrance metal door is also required.

The house is managed by the HOA or the management company. It is these organizations, respectively, that take responsibility for the installation of the intercom. But as practice shows, companies can pay only part of the amount. The rest of the money is collected from the pockets of the residents. The purchase of a full set of keys and the installation of the tube are paid additionally by the residents.

We draw your attention to the fact that after installing the intercom, all residents of the house must be given a code by which you can open the door if you have forgotten or lost the key.

In order to save money, you can install the intercom handset yourself. This does not require specialized education or special equipment. The main thing is to follow the instructions correctly. To install the tube, a telephone cable is laid to the apartment. The wires are connected to the tube according to the diagram. Attaching the tube to the wall with your own hands is not so difficult - just screw in a couple of self-tapping screws and hang the tube on them.

Which intercom to choose

On the Russian market, there are many companies that manufacture intercom devices. High production technologies allow us to produce improved models every year. What will be the intercom in the house - it is up to the owners to decide.

When choosing an intercom, you should pay attention to the switching system. According to this parameter, coordinate and digital intercoms are distinguished. Their difference lies in the wire through which the connection to the apartments takes place.

When installing a digital intercom, one line is laid to connect the switch with all apartments. The coordinate system is designed in such a way that a separate wire will be laid to each apartment, connecting it to the switchboard.

Today digital intercoms are considered to be more reliable in operation. But their price is three times higher than the price of fiducials.

Another characteristic to look out for is the type of connection. There are audio and video intercoms. Their difference is the presence of a display on which you can see who is calling. The video intercom provides high security, thanks to it, none of the outsiders will be able to get inside the entrance. But the cost of such devices is high. Apartment owners for the most part give preference to audio intercoms.

Who pays for intercom service

From the moment of installation, the intercom acquires the status of a common property and belongs to all owners of apartments in the house. According to the current legislation, the tenants themselves pay for the maintenance and maintenance of the property. After the intercom appears in the entrance, a new receipt will appear in your mailbox.

The obligation to pay amounts for the maintenance of this device is also assigned to those owners who did not install pipes in their apartments.

Previously, people did not think about the fact that someone could enter their entrance and damage the property that is in it. In Soviet times, there were wooden entrance doors at all, and flowers in pots bloomed on the stairwells.

Perhaps the reason for the vandalism of the entrances was the dashing 90, when the morality of the people wanted the best. It was then that they began to invent and install various means of protection against ill-wishers. At first, these were combination locks installed by housing and communal services, after which they were replaced by intercoms. Let's see what else will be invented to protect common property.

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Summary:

Don't pay for the intercom: I was able to get the intercom company to connect the apartment tube without a monthly fee. The story of how Svetlana from Evpatoria faced the arbitrariness of a company that installed an intercom in an apartment building. Without concluding a contract, they cut off her apartment pipe for non-payment. But after contacting the housing inspectorate, the prosecutor's office and the police, the intercoms apologized and connected everything back.

Hi, my name is Svetlana. I constantly have to challenge the opinion of government and commercial organizations, which are trying to “pinch off” ordinary people. The topic of paying for an intercom periodically worries conscious citizens, we faced this issue in 2018 after installing an intercom system in a new apartment building (MKD). For which the apartment tube of the intercom was turned off for us. A meeting of homeowners in the MKD took place, at which, by the decision of the tenants, they purchased a "locking device" and included them in the common property. After that, representatives of the intercom company walked through the apartments to conclude individual maintenance contracts. These contracts provide for a two-time intercom check every year and repair, if necessary.

Locking system installation

We are already accustomed to the fact that each product is imposed with an "additional guarantee", "service" and other dubious services, so we clarified why we need maintenance during the warranty period. They didn’t answer us anything intelligible, we didn’t sign the contract, but after three months they cut off our apartment pipe “for non-payment”. I had to thoroughly understand this issue, let's start with theoretical provisions. It is important! What utilities can be turned off for non-payment. Do they have the right to charge a payment for an intercom: legal framework. According to Art. 37 of the RF Housing Code "the owner's share in the common property of the MKD is proportional to the size of the total area of \u200b\u200bthe said premises" - we immediately see that the payment for the intercom should theoretically depend on the size of the apartment. Art. 39 continues: "the share of mandatory costs of maintaining common property in an apartment building, the burden of which is borne by the owner of the premises, is determined by the share in the common property." Why, then, does everyone pay the same? (Spoiler alert: it's more convenient for intercom operators.) Further, according to Art. 154 "payment for residential premises and utilities includes: payment for the maintenance of residential premises, which includes payment for services, work on the management of an apartment building, for the maintenance and current repair of common property in an apartment building, for utilities consumed when using and the maintenance of common property in an apartment building ”.

Maintenance costs are included in the payment for the dwelling

This means that all expenses necessary for the repair and maintenance of doors, windows, barriers, intercoms must be paid from the funds collected by the Criminal Code or TSN "for the repair and maintenance of common property." They can refuse this, arguing that they do not have specialists or have not concluded an agreement with a specialized organization, so let them search and conclude, this is their direct responsibility. In any case, the list of mandatory works and services can be approved at the general meeting of residents. The most important thing in Art. 156: "payment for the maintenance of a dwelling includes payment for utilities consumed in the use and maintenance of common property in an apartment building." This means that the intercom system works from the common house power grid and has nothing to do with the installer, its work does not depend on outside action or inaction, so what to pay for every month? We look further the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation N 491 "On approval of the Rules for the maintenance of common property in MKD", which confirms the above concepts. Clause 2 indicates that the intercom, as equipment serving more than one room, meets the characteristics of common property in the MKD. Paragraph 28 states that apartment owners pay through the rent the costs of maintaining the common property in proportion to their shares in the common property. Additionally: Letter N 30665-IB / 14 of the Ministry of Regional Development replies that the intercom is fully consistent with the characteristics of common property. The same is in Letter N 10686-AT / 04 of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Utilities: the common property includes landings, staircases, corridors, technical basements, and other equipment that serves more than one dwelling in an apartment building.

How it happens in practice

The following argument is often made: the intercom can break, indeed, just like a rail or a door, the repair of which is much more expensive. But this "insurance" is provided in the amount of the rent. By the way, many management companies are in no hurry to hold meetings in order to officially include the intercom in the common property, then they have the right to additionally include its repair and maintenance in payments. Repair of the device is the responsibility of the management company. Sometimes representatives of intercom companies at a general meeting persuade tenants to make a decision on the mandatory conclusion of a contract for the provision of technical services or a "subscription fee". Sadly, then you will have to submit or initiate discussion of the issue at a general meeting in order to terminate the imposed agreement. But most often the following options are implemented: apartment maintenance agreements are concluded; in the absence of a contract, residents simply pay according to the subscription book, which is considered acceptance and fulfillment of the terms of the contract between the service provider and the consumer. But we are not serfs at intercom organizations, so we have the right to terminate the concluded contract and refuse maintenance by simply sending a registered letter (with notification) to the legal address. Then the most interesting thing begins: in case of refusal of maintenance or termination of the contract, the intercom operators begin to hooligan and turn off the apartment pipes. We remind you. This is your equipment, paid for during installation, which operates on the basis of the general power grid and does not require the support of outside organizations. Intervention of unauthorized persons in its work is categorically unacceptable, this is called "property damage". After all, the installers of the washing machine do not cut your hoses for the fact that you turn it on and use it. Material in the topic! Why are utility rates growing all the time Where to go if you turned off the phone for non-payment At first, we stopped by the intercom company and wrote an application to refuse technical services that we did not ask for, and connect the tube back, although this is legal nonsense: after all, at the meeting we only turned on the intercom in common property, but not obliged to enter into contracts. Moreover, a vicious practice develops when it is precisely those tenants who have an apartment tube that pay for the intercom, and the rest simply use a chip key for the door to the entrance. Although it is there that breakdowns most often occur. In practice, the locking device breaks more often than the tubes. But this did not help us, we had to use proven methods (all in electronic form, without leaving home): an application to the housing inspectorate. Appeal to the housing inspectorate through the State Services, a statement to the prosecutor's office. An appeal to the prosecutor's office, a statement to the police for arbitrariness (Article 330 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) and damage to someone else's property (Article 7.17 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation). Contacting the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is better to pre-write an application in Word, so that later you can copy or send it in the attached file. For reference! Complaints can be made to these organizations against a homeowners' association for poorly performed work. Unfortunately, we didn’t find out which authority acted on intercoms, but they called us back a couple of days later and everything was connected back. At the same time, they asked to withdraw the sent statements, which we did as respectable residents. There is no court practice on this matter in our city (Evpatoria), although there are court decisions in favor of residents in other regions.

Finally, let's quickly calculate: one entrance for 100 apartments for 50 rubles. 5,000 rubles per month, 60,000 rubles per year, and 600,000 rubles over 10 years. - half a million rubles for "intercom service" in one entrance.

The meaning of this story is not “not to pay in principle”, but about consciously participating in the formation of the market for communal and housing services.