Do you need an intercom? The procedure for installing and paying for an intercom in an apartment building

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

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

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

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

1. You live in high-rise 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 in an apartment, even if a short time, you need to leave a small child unattended. What if the elevator gets stuck... well, you understand what I mean.

2. You have a vestibule (part of the corridor, which is fenced off by a door) joint with your neighbors. In other words, in order 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 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?” they 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 intercoms contain a video camera, which, after pressing the call button by the guest, starts recording on internal memory or removable memory card. After you have returned 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 are on the specified by you mobile phone send a photo of your guest!

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

1. High cost of devices, especially from point 5 (pros)

2. Need some construction works(lay wiring, make a series of holes in the wall or door).

That, perhaps, is all. Read, think and make an informed decision.

The question of the need for a video intercom in the apartment has been considered for more than a year. Previously, such funds were available exclusively to wealthy people, but with the development of technology and cheaper production, as well as with a general increase in incomes 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"

Disputes between supporters of the device and its opponents do not fade away. What arguments do the parties bring and how weighty are they?

Opponents point out that this device is just an unnecessary toy that the owner of the apartment will play with for a while 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 side of video intercom supporters. Of course, such equipment can be considered as a toy, but in fact, comparing this technology with a smartphone is not entirely correct.

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

Yes, modern video intercoms have a lot of functions that may seem really useless at first glance (similar to the same smartphones), but this is a matter of taste. In addition, such equipment is being developed and constantly upgraded, including with the participation of security experts. 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 solid doors and a peephole. This allows you to contain the attacker 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 owner of the apartment sees them. The usual peephole is easily closed with the thumb or chewing gum. This maneuver nullifies 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. A standard optical eye does not have this luxury. If the entrance is dark, its efficiency is 0.

There is also an opinion that the money spent on a video intercom could be saved to install a 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 members are inside.

As can be seen, none of the theses of the opponents modern technologies does not 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 use. You can teach the elderly or children how to use the 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 a key, most of the apartments have intercoms. However, not all Volgograd residents have concluded an agreement for the maintenance of the intercom system. And whether you have it or not, just depends on 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 management specialists Rospotrebnadzor in the Volgograd region.

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

THERE IS A CONTRACT

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

A few years later, few can remember whether such an agreement existed or not. But that doesn't change the fact itself. So even if you do not use a voice tube inside your apartment, you will have to pay. A contract is a contract. And the intercom system is a complex of equipment that is not limited to just one voice tube.

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

NO CONTRACT

If the name of the payer does not appear in the payment, 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 such receipts, you express your consent to receive the service. The offer period is limited to 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. Debts on such receipts cannot be formed, - experts explain.

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

If you have evidence of intentional disconnection of the equipment, or if you have a legitimate reason to receive service for maintenance intercom free of charge, then you have the right to apply to law enforcement agencies and to the court for the restoration of violated rights, - the lawyers clarify.

Free access to the entrance apartment building violates the peaceful living in it of apartment owners. In the cold season, such entrances often become a haven for noisy groups of teenagers or a place to sleep for people without a fixed place of residence. Tenants' war with uninvited guests may end in tragedy.

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

If not everyone needs an intercom

Intercom installation begins with a general meeting of the residents of the entire house. The decision on the need to install the device is made if there is a positive response 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 the money. There are also residents who believe that restricting access to the entrance violates their rights. They are not going to install a 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 by some owners (if there are less than 50%), the decision will be considered positive.

Who will install

After making a decision to install, the tenants have next question“At whose expense is the intercom installed?” The answer to this question can be found based on the way the house is managed.

Directly by apartment owners. In this case, all owners independently find an organization that installs intercoms. They conclude an agreement with her and pay all the costs of installing the device and additional amounts associated with the installation of intercom handsets in the apartment and the purchase of keys. If the door in the entrance is old, 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 installing the intercom. But as practice shows, companies can pay only part of the amount. The rest of the money comes from the residents' pockets. Residents pay extra for the purchase of a complete set of keys and the installation of a handset.

Please note 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. It does not require specialized education or special equipment. The main thing is to follow the instructions correctly. To mount the handset, 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

There are many companies on the Russian market that manufacture devices for intercoms. High production technologies allow to produce improved models every year. What will be the intercom in the house - it's 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, thanks to which there is a connection to the apartments.

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

Today, digital intercoms are considered more reliable in operation. But their price exceeds the price of coordinate three times.

Another of the characteristics that you should pay attention to is the type of connection. There are audio and video intercoms. Their difference is in the presence of a display on which you can see who is calling. Video intercom provides high security, thanks to him, no one from outsiders can get inside the entrance. But the cost of such devices is high. For the most part, apartment owners prefer audio intercoms.

Who pays for intercom service

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

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

Previously, people did not think that someone could enter their entrance and cause damage to the property that is in it. V Soviet time and there were wooden entrance doors, and flowers in pots bloomed on the landings.

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

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Summary:

Do not pay for the intercom: I was able to get the intercom company to connect the apartment handset 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, she was turned off the apartment tube for non-payment. But after contacting the housing inspectorate, the prosecutor's office and the police, the intercom operators apologized and connected everything back.

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

Locking system installation

We are already accustomed to the fact that every product is given an “extra warranty”, “ service maintenance” and other dubious services, so we clarified why we need maintenance during the warranty period. They didn’t give us a clear answer, we didn’t sign the contract, but three months later they turned off the apartment phone “for non-payment”. I had to thoroughly understand this issue, let's start with theoretical provisions. It is important! What kind public Utilities may be terminated for non-payment. Do they have the right to charge for intercom: the legislative framework. According to Art. 37 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation “the share of the owner in the common property of the MKD is proportional to the size of the total area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe indicated premises” - we immediately see that the fee for the intercom should theoretically depend on the size of the apartment. Art. 39 continues: "the share of mandatory expenses for the maintenance of common property in the MKD, 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: it is 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 maintenance and Maintenance common property in an apartment building, for communal resources consumed in the use and maintenance of common property in an apartment building.

Maintenance costs are included in the rent

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, citing the fact 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 compulsory works and services can be approved at a general meeting of tenants. The most important thing in Art. 156: "the payment for the maintenance of the residential premises includes the payment for the communal resources consumed in the use and maintenance of the common property in the MKD." This means that the intercom system operates from the general house power supply and has nothing to do with the installer company, its operation does not depend on extraneous action or inaction, so why pay every month? We look further 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 states that the intercom, as equipment serving more than one room, meets the signs of common property in the MKD. Paragraph 28 states that the 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 fully complies with the signs of common property. The same is in Letter N 10686-AT / 04 of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Public Utilities: common property includes landings, stairs, corridors, technical cellars, other equipment that serves more than one dwelling in the MKD.

How it happens in practice

This argument is often made: the intercom can break, indeed, just like a railing 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 an intercom in the composition of common house property, then they have the right to 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 residents to make a decision on the mandatory conclusion of an agreement for the provision of technical services or " subscription fee". Sadly, then you have to obey or initiate a discussion of the issue at a general meeting in order to terminate the imposed contract. But most often the following options are implemented: apartment maintenance contracts are concluded; in the absence of an agreement, tenants simply pay according to the subscriber book, which is considered acceptance and fulfillment of the terms of the agreement between the service provider and the consumer. But we are not serfs at intercom organizations, therefore 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 fun begins: if the maintenance is refused or the contract is terminated, the intercom operators begin to act hooligans and turn off the apartment tubes. We remind you. This is your equipment, paid for at installation, that runs off the public power grid and does not require the support of outside organizations. The intervention of unauthorized persons in his work is strictly unacceptable, this is called "property damage". After all, the installers washing machine do not cut your hoses for turning it on and using it. Topic material! Why are utility rates growing all the time Where to go if the handset was turned off for non-payment At first, we stopped at the intercom company and wrote an application for refusing technical services that we did not ask for, and connecting the handset back, although this is legal nonsense: after all, at the meeting they only turned on the intercom in common property, but not obliged to conclude contracts. Moreover, there is a vicious practice when it is precisely those tenants who have an apartment receiver who pay for the intercom, and the rest simply use a chipped key for the door to the entrance. But that's where most of the breakdowns happen. In practice, the locking device breaks more often than the tubes. But this did not help us, we had to use proven methods (everything in in electronic format without leaving home): an application to the housing inspection. Appeal to the housing inspectorate through the State Services, a statement to the prosecutor's office. 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 other people's property (Article 7.17 of the Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation). Appeal to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. It is better to pre-write the application in Word, so that later you can copy or send it in the attached file. For reference! In the same organizations, you can file complaints against the homeowners association for poor-quality work. Unfortunately, we did not find out exactly which authority acted on the intercom operators, but they called us back a couple of days later and everything was connected back. At the same time, they asked us to withdraw the sent applications, which we did as respectable residents. Litigation there are no such cases in our city (Yevpatoria), 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. for a month you get 5,000 rubles, for a year - 60,000 rubles, and for 10 years - 600,000 rubles. - half a million rubles for "intercom service" in one entrance.

The meaning of this story is not to "fundamentally not pay", but to consciously participate in the formation of the market for public utilities and housing services.