The dizzying rise in the price of gas (+30%) and charges in general has generated significant catch-ups in certain buildings. Unpaid bills explode, putting some condominiums in difficulty, even if very often amicable solutions are found.
Par –
07:00 | updated at 14:12
The inflationary shock is having its effects on condominiums and even more so on energy-intensive buildings. “We are seeing an increase in unpaid bills,” says Mike Hevessy, trustee director at Dumur Immobilier. And to explain: “The 30% rise in the price of gas has generated significant catch-ups in collectives, and some owners in financial difficulty are asking to spread out payments. Going from an annual consumption budget of €100,000 to €130,000 is not without consequences. »
“We negotiated our gas contracts three years ago for all of our real estate, says Martial Bello, manager of the Belsim condominium management agency. These contracts are expiring soon. There we will cringe. »
Legal remedies
Because if the rise in the price of gas, and, to a lesser extent, that of electricity, weighs considerably on budgets, it appears, according to the professional in condominium management, that “more and more people are buying an apartment without taking account of the charges which are often minimized by the sellers and which, faced with reality, very quickly find themselves in difficulty. »
Situations that can go to court to force a defaulting co-owner to pay his bill. “I have the case of a building where we skimmed all possible legal remedies for twelve years to recover the amounts owed by a co-owner who did not pay. Because if it is possible to obtain remedies to evict a tenant, it is much more difficult to make a landlord leave.
Current expenses: + 4%
“These increases in charges, mainly due to the rise in the price of gas and electricity but also, concomitantly (+ 4%) with that of the provision of services (cleaning company, maintenance work, minor repairs), we are coming overall to curb them”, resumes Mike Hevessy.
But that’s without counting on the major renovation and thermal insulation projects that energy-intensive complexes will have to undertake in the coming years and which will further increase the bill. “The Beau Rivage residence in Thionville is in this case. 78% of the co-owners voted in favor but the whole will have to bear costs of 25,000 to 35,000 € depending on the surface area of their apartment. It’s not nothing ! »
Fortunately, grants and financing solutions, such as zero-interest loans, exist and allow you to “pass the pill”.
