Who pays utilities when renting an apartment in Ukraine: the law, meters and budget

The Civil Code is explicit: the tenant must pay for utilities themselves unless the lease says otherwise (Art. 815). So by default utilities are the tenant's cost, but the parties can agree a different split, and that agreement belongs in the written contract.

Rent is also set by the contract and cannot be changed unilaterally unless the contract or the law allows it (Art. 820). If utilities are bundled into the rent as a fixed sum, the owner cannot simply raise it when tariffs go up, which is why the review terms should be written down too.

The Law on Housing and Utility Services treats not only the owner but also another person using the home with the owner's consent as a consumer. That means accounts and supply contracts can be put in the tenant's name if the owner agrees.

No option is the 'right' one; what matters is that both sides understand it and it is written down. Common arrangements between owners and tenants include:

• The tenant pays every bill on the owner's accounts and sends proof of payment.
• The owner pays the bills and the tenant reimburses the amounts each month against the receipts.
• Utilities are included in the rent as a fixed amount: simple, but agree what happens when tariffs change.
• A mixed split: the tenant pays for consumption (power, gas, water, heat) and the owner pays fixed building charges.

To avoid arguments later, go through every bill with the owner and write down who pays for each item. Pay particular attention to charges that do not depend on how much you use.

• Electricity: metered; the tenant pays by default.
• Gas and gas distribution: check whether distribution is billed separately.
• Cold and hot water, sewerage: metered.
• Heating: central heating (a separate bill) or individual (through gas or electricity).
• Rubbish collection: ask how it is charged.
• Condominium (OSBB) fees, building maintenance and building repair funds: list them separately so there is no argument later.
• Internet, intercom, TV: who signs up and in whose name.
• Appliance and plumbing repairs: under the Civil Code routine repairs fall to the tenant and major ones to the landlord unless agreed otherwise (Art. 819).

A few questions on the phone can save you a trip to see a place that will not fit your budget. Note the answers down; you will need them when agreeing the wording of the lease.

• Does the rent include any of the utilities?
• What kind of heating: central, a gas boiler or electric?
• Which meters are installed, and is every service metered?
• Roughly what were the bills in winter and in summer, and can I see them?
• Are there any arrears, and who pays the building fees?
• How will readings and payments work: to the owner's card or straight to the suppliers?

No specific legal rule requires meter readings to go into a handover act. But that record is what protects you from paying for someone else's usage, so always make one. The handover act signed by both sides on the day you get the keys is the best place for it.

Sample wording: 'Meter readings as of 1 October 2026: electricity, meter No. …: … kWh; gas, meter No. …: … m³; cold water: … m³; hot water: … m³.' Add the account numbers and the supplier names.

• Photograph every meter so that both the reading and the serial number are visible.
• Check that each meter works: run a tap or switch on an appliance and watch the numbers move.
• Note the seals and never tamper with meters; that is a legal duty of every consumer.
• Ask for the latest paid bills and keep them with the act.

The law requires consumers to pay on time and to submit meter readings. Agree who does it: the tenant through the suppliers' online accounts, with the owner's access, or the owner based on photos you send. Moving accounts into the tenant's name needs the owner's consent.

A simple habit that helps avoid disputes: on the same day each month, photograph the meters and send the photos and receipts to the owner over a messaging app. You both end up with a payment history in case of disagreement.

Arrears left by previous occupants are an unpleasant surprise that is easy to avoid. OLX, in its advice on safe long-term renting, recommends checking utility bills. Ask to see recent bills with a zero balance, or open the suppliers' online accounts together and check.

Write into the lease that any debt from before your move-in date is the owner's to settle. Together with the readings in the handover act, that gives you a clear line: nothing before that date is yours.

The advertised rent often covers only the home itself, not your total cost. Among 108 long-term apartment listings in Cherkasy on OLX as of 29 September 2026, about half (53) mentioned utilities in the text, so always ask what the price includes.

The most reliable estimate comes from real bills for one winter and one summer month. The gap between them depends on the heating type. In the same listings, central heating was most common (62), followed by individual gas (17) and electric (4). With central heating you get a separate heat bill in winter; with a gas boiler your gas bill rises; with electric heating, your power bill does.

Tariffs change, so check current rates on suppliers' official websites and leave some headroom. If you rent a house, add costs that apartments rarely have: septic tank pump-outs and fuel for a boiler or generator.

Research by the Ukrainian think tank Cedos on renting found that a common problem is deposits being withheld with the excuse of 'waiting for the utility bills'. To avoid that, photograph the meters again on move-out day and record the readings in the return act.

Agree in advance and put it in the lease: final bills are calculated from the move-out readings at current tariffs, and the rest of the deposit is returned straight away or by a set date. Our separate article covers deposits and move-in costs in detail.