According to Section 10 of the Law on Residential Properties, if a residential property is alienated, the participants of the transaction shall, without delay, notify the administrator of the residential house in writing of the change of the apartment owner. The acquirer of the residential property shall, after the conclusion of the transaction, submit a document certifying the ownership rights to the administrator of the residential house or the person who is keeping the house file according to the provisions of the administration contract. To conclude, there must be a written declaration from both parties so that SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” can start the calculations.
We encourage the new property owner to send the document certifying the ownership rights via e-mail at rnparvaldnieks@rnparvaldnieks.lv or submit it to any of our Customer Service Centres. The invoices will be split on the date when the Land Registry judge has made a decision on corroboration.
To remotely conclude a contract on administration of the residential house with SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” you must use a secure electronic signature. Moreover, to initiate the procedure, the apartment owner must send a Land Register Certificate and an application signed with a secure electronic signature to SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” e-mail address rnparvaldnieks@rnparvaldnieks.lv, indicating:
You can sign the contract on administration of the residential house in person by contacting any of the administrator’s Customer Service Centres (addresses and office hours are available HERE), upon presenting documents proving the identity and ownership rights (originals).
According to Section 8, Paragraph one of the Law on Residential Properties, the apartment owner shall be a person who has acquired a residential property and has corroborated ownership rights in the Land Register. Additionally, Section 10 of the said Law stipulates that the apartment owner has the obligation to cover the administration expenditures of the residential house according to the undivided share of the joint property included in his or her residential property, to settle accounts for the received services, which are related to the use of the residential property (for example, heating, cold water, sewerage, and removal of household waste), and to make a land lease payment if the residential house is situated on the land belonging to another person. It follows from the above that it is the apartment owner’s responsibility to cover expenses for both the administration of the residential house and the received services, starting from the day the person has acquired ownership of the property.
Therefore, if the apartment is about to be sold or purchased, the distribution of payments between the former and the new owner is carried out according to the date when the judge of the Land Register made the decision. The apartment Transfer-Acceptance Act binds only its signatories. Civil relations between the former and current apartment owner are not of importance to the administrator.
To submit the necessary documents:
When submitting an application, the client must specify his or her name, surname, telephone number, and provide an extensive description of the situation that needs to be resolved. When sending the application electronically, we ask clients to send it from the e-mail address authorized in the vortal e-parvaldnieks.lv. If the apartment owner has not authorized his or her profile in the vortal, the documents must be signed with a secure electronic signature. If necessary, attach copies of documents that confirm the circumstances described in the application. The application can be signed by hand if it is to be placed in the dropbox of the Customer Service Centre.
Water meter replacement/verification act and its certificates can be submitted:
To register in the vortal e-parvaldnieks.lv, please follow the instructions available HERE.
To authorize your profile, the apartment owner must log in to the vortal e-parvaldnieks.lv, using the username (your e-mail address) and password. After that, in the “Please confirm your personal data” window, you will be able to select the respective internet bank or Electronic Identification and confirm your data. A tutorial on how to do this is available HERE.
In-person authorization can also be done by turning to any Customer Service Centre of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” (addresses and working hours are available HERE) upon presenting documents proving the identity.
If the apartment owner is a legal entity, please send an application (in free form), which is signed with a secure electronic signature by a person entitled to sign on the company’s behalf, indicating the e-mail address for which authorization is to be made. The application can be sent via e-mail at rnparvaldnieks@rnparvaldnieks.lv, or you can contact the company’s authorized representative in person at any SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” Customer Service Centres (addresses and working hours are available HERE), upon presenting documents proving the identity and company representation.
If the e-mail address registered in the vortal e-parvaldnieks.lv is not active (it must be changed), the registration in the vortal can be performed, using your current e-mail address. After the registration and authorization (by confirming personal data via Internet bank or eID), the apartment owner will be able to see the users linked to the apartment in the section “Mani līgumi” (My contracts) of the vortal and, if necessary, delete previously registered users (by moving the cursor to the respective user and clicking the option “delete”), as well as add other/additional users and e-mail addresses (with the proposed option “Uzaicināt īrnieku” (Invite a tenant).
To SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” (RNP) can prepare and conclude a tripartite agreement for necessary repair works, the residential building needs to submit:
RNP prepares the tripartite agreement based on a template developed by RNP, ensuring that all clients are provided with uniform terms in accordance with current regulatory requirements.
A house representative must write an application in a free form in which the need to become a client of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” is expressed. The application can be submitted at any Customer Service Centre by using post or sending it electronically to the e-mail address: rnparvaldnieks@rnparvaldnieks.lv
After receiving the application, SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” will inspect the residential house, obtain the necessary data (area of the residential house and its territory to be maintained, etc.) and prepare an administration offer.
After receiving the offer of administration, the community of apartment owners decides on transferring the rights of administration to SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks”.
The community of apartment owners must make the following decisions on:
Apartment owners of residential houses must request a statement about the existence/non-existence of debts of the residential house’s apartment owners from such service providers as AS “Rīgas siltums”, SIA “Rīgas ūdens”, etc. The statement should be joined by the decision of the community of apartment owners of the residential house.
The decision of the community of apartment owners shall be made in accordance with Sections 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the Law on Residential Properties.
When convening a general meeting of apartment owners, a representative of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” shall be invited to it.
In accordance with the provisions of the Law on Residential Properties, to decide whether to assign some or all of the administrative activities of a residential house to the administrator, more than half of the apartment owners must vote “for” (Section 17, Paragraph 8).
In the yard of the residential house, the functionally necessary and attached plot of land of the area has been turned into a vehicle parking lot.
The parking lot includes:
3 steps to organize the traffic flow and create a parking lot:
Step 1 – Convene a general meeting
The joint decision of the owners of the separate residential properties (hereafter – “the apartment”) is required to create and expand the parking lot and to improve the courtyard. It should be noted that the courtyard can belong not only to the apartment owners but also to third parties. In order to commence the creation of the parking lot in accordance with the Law on Residential Properties, the apartment owners shall convene a general meeting, the task of which is to agree on the matters regarding the parking lot, to organize the traffic flow in the yard, and to agree on the source of funding for the said activities.
In the meeting, the apartment owners must decide on:
The community of apartment owners can make decisions in three ways:
To decide on the creation/expansion/improvement of a parking lot and/or the organizing of the traffic flow, as well as the process of issuing parking permits, at least 3/4 or 75% of all apartment owners must vote “FOR”. In addition, the community must decide on the source of funding to cover these operations. Furthermore, to decide on installing a road sign, creating a parking lot for people with disabilities or creating a parking lot for electric cars (if a charging point for electric vehicles is installed simultaneously), at least 50% + 1 of all apartment owners must vote “FOR”.
The decision on the creation/expansion/improvement of the parking lot and/or the organizing of the traffic flow, as well as the process of issuing vehicle parking permits must be presented to the administrator to evaluate whether the decision has been made in accordance with the Law on Residential Properties and whether the number of apartment owners’ votes is adequate. Thus, the decision is binding on all apartment owners and is subject to further execution.
IMPORTANT
The administrator would like to highlight the following:
Step 2 – Organizing of the traffic flow and installation of appropriate road signs.
If the community of apartment owners has planned to only organize the traffic flow by installing appropriate road signs that allow vehicles with permits to park in a specific area, then according to the developed scheme for the installation of technical means of road traffic organization, appropriate road signs will be installed, following the guidelines by VAS “Latvijas Valsts ceļi”.
If the community of apartment owners has foreseen not only the organising of the traffic flow but the creation/expansion/improvement of the parking lot, then after the construction plan has been developed and approved by the Riga City Construction Board, the apartment owners appoint a construction merchant who will carry out the creation and improvement work of the parking lot. To carry out this procedure and decide on the source of funding, a general meeting of apartment owners must be convened.
IMPORTANT
The administrator would like to highlight the following: the house community may decide to authorize and entrust all the activities mentioned above to the administrator or, upon concluding a tripartite agreement, to another contractor appointed by the apartment owners. Such authorization must be included in the minutes of the general meeting.
Step 3 – Development of the construction plan
Prior to planning the creation/expansion/ improvement of the parking lot, an authorised representative of the community of apartment owners must enter into an arrangement with the company that will design the parking lot. The parking lot construction plan must be developed before being submitted for approval to the Riga City Construction Board.
To commence the creation following documents are required (more information is available on the website of the Riga City Construction Board):
IMPORTANT
The administrator would like to highlight the following:
If the territory of the yard, where the parking lot is to be created, belongs to a third party (private owner), only the general meeting represented by more than half (50% + 1 apartment owner) of all residential properties of the house are entitled to make decisions. The minutes of the general meeting must contain the respective landowner’s written consent for the creation of the parking lot. In this case, a separate decision shall be made by the apartment owners regarding the procedure for issuing vehicle parking permits given that only a general meeting represented by three-quarters or 75% of all apartment owners are entitled to decide on such a procedure.
The costs of creating/expanding/improving a parking lot and/or installing road signs to organize the traffic flow are determined separately, taking into account the costs related to the complexity, design, and creation of the parking lot. The costs indicated below may change depending on the offer of the chosen merchant.
Creation of a parking lot or expansion of an existing one:
| The development of the technical design of a single-level parking lot | EUR 50.00 + VAT/m2 |
| Creation or expansion of a single-level parking lot | 40,00 EUR + VAT/m2 |
Organization of vehicle flow:
| Development and coordination of the scheme for the installation of technical means of road traffic organization according to VAS “Latvijas Valsts ceļi”. | 121,00 EUR + VAT/pc. |
| Purchase/production and installation of a road sign. | 157,00 EUR + VAT/pc. |
Access solutions:
| Lifting barrier | Starting from EUR 1400.00 + VAT |
| Automatic rising bollards | Starting from EUR 2800.00 + VAT |
| Lockable parking brackets | Starting from EUR 70.00 + VAT |
| Rubber/polyurethane parking barriers | Starting from EUR 24.00 + VAT |
Terms for using a vehicle permit:
The permit must be attached in the vehicle to the inside lower corner of the windshield showing the hologram, validity period, and the address linked to the territory in which the vehicle is allowed to enter and park.
The permit is a document made and issued by SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks”, the falsification of constitutes a criminal offence in the meaning of Section 275 of the Criminal Law.
If you have lost the pass during its validity period, you must submit an application to the RNP for repeated issuance so that a new pass indicating the same State vehicle registration number and validity period with a new pass registration number can be made. The fee for the production of a new pass shall be calculated following the price list of paid services provided by RNP.
The passes can be received at the Customer Center after receiving a call or SMS that the pass has been produced and delivered. Passes are made within a couple of business days, but we encourage customers to wait for the invitation, and only then come after the made parking permit.
Passes are issued only if the community of apartment owners of a particular residential house has decided to grant the right to request and receive a transit pass to persons who are not RNP clients, including tenants or lessees of residential properties and non-privatized premises. In order to receive the permit, you must additionally submit the payment order for its production confirming your payment to RNP.
When accepting an application, Customer Service Centre specialists’ check:
Applications for the production of passes shall be accepted from the RNP administrated residential house’s:
Pass production fee:
| Service | Unit of measure | Price with VAT (EUR) |
| For a natural person | for one vehicle | 9,99 |
| For a legal entity | for one vehicle | 15,00 |
If prohibitory road signs are installed in the territory, the territory for the parking lot has been surveyed, and the procedure for issuing passes has been established according to the decision by the community of apartment owners, the validity period of the passes issued by RNP is 12 months.
To request a pass, the client must fill out the application form and submit it to the RNP Customer Service Centre or send it, signed with a secure electronic signature, to our joint e-mail address rnparvaldnieks@rnparvaldnieks.lv.
Deed on Replacement/Verification of Water Meters and water meter certificates can be submitted:
We also ask you to keep in mind the information published on the home page about changes in the working hours of Customer Service Centres on annual holidays (Christmas, Easter, etc.).
If the Deed on Replacement of Water Meters (WMs) has been submitted to us by the 15th of each month, you can submit the readings of the new WMs in the vortal www.e-parvaldnieks.lv during the period for the submission of WM readings of the current month as of the 25th of each month.
Monthly water meter readings must be submitted every month.
Readings can be submitted:
It is important to remember to submit the water meter readings the following month either in writing, by submitting a form between the 25th and 27th included, or by submitting the readings electronically from the 25th to the 28th included. If the specified deadline is not complied with, water meter readings are not accepted via e-mail.
If the water meter readings are not submitted, the invoice is calculated considering the consumption of the last three months according to which the average water consumption is determined. If the water meter readings are not submitted for more than three consecutive months, the water consumption difference is calculated according to Cabinet Regulation No. 1013.
The readings can be submitted in 5 different ways:
* Kiosks are available for clients at Aleksandra Čaka iela 42, Brīvības iela 49/53, Brīvības gatve430A, Mārtiņa iela 7 (2 kiosks), Maskavas iela 168, Pārslas iela 10, Tilta iela 11 k-1, Zebiekstes iela 8 (2 kiosks), Riga.
The deadline for submitting monthly water meter readings is shortened to reduce (to the maximum) the difference in water consumption or correction, which forms because apartment owners/tenants take and submit water meter readings at different times.
The residents of residential houses tend to submit water meter readings in different ways – with significantly different time intervals. Showing the amount of water consumed as accurate as possible will ensure a fairer calculation of the water consumption fee.
Water meter readings can be submitted:
About a third of RNP’s clients submit water meter readings in writing; however, for accounting, this data still needs to be entered into a computer, which results in wasted human resources. To reduce wasted human resources and the possibility of errors caused by entering these reading sheets in the computer manually, the company wants to gradually shift to the electronic format only while making the everyday life of clients easier.
This is not the first change, as several divisions drastically reduced the number of dropboxes a few years ago, which is why today, in their territories, 3/4 to 2/3 of meter readings are already submitted electronically, while on average, 1/4–1/3 are submitted in writing. In the divisions, on the other hand, where the number of dropboxes is yet to be reduced, the sheets of readings exceed the data submitted electronically. It means that thousands of clients have the opportunity to use the electronic form, which is the most efficient.
Clients whose printed invoice so far included a sheet of water consumption readings and who hereafter wish to submit water consumption readings only in writing, starting from 2 September 2019, will be able to receive them at all RNP Customer Service Centres. To receive water meter reading forms, you must present a personal identity document.
By presenting a notarized power of attorney and an identity document at the RNP Customer Service Centre, the water meter reading forms can be collected by a neighbour, a relative, or any person authorized by you.
RNP intends to adhere to this procedure to protect its clients from intentional harm and malice by a third party.
The water meter reading form is issued for three months, meaning that the client visits the RNP Customer Service Centre every three months.
If you have lost the water meter reading form, you must go to any RNP Customer Service Centre to receive the form again.
The completed water meter reading form can be submitted in the same way as before – in the dropboxes located in our Customer Service Centres and divisions, as well as in some residential houses of RNP clients. When submitting the reading form electronically, you have the advantage of doing it a day later: in writing from the 25th to the 27th, but electronically until the 28th.
A completed water meter reading form can be deposited in the dropbox by anyone trusted. Submission requirements remain unchanged.
The goal of RNP is to gradually switch to electronic submission of water meter readings, thus ensuring not only the sustainability of natural resources, but also facilitating the daily life of clients. Many clients already submit their readings:
The common water meters in Riga, both shared and those installed in apartments, tend to be inaccurate, and their readings are affected by different factors. For example, it is typical for the shared meters used in buildings to “become clogged” during utilization – the diameter becomes smaller eventually, starting to show higher consumption than the actual one. However, the water meters installed in apartments do the opposite – the older they become, the lower consumption they show.
However, compared to other factors affecting the accuracy of accounting, these inaccuracies are relatively minor. Much more significant modification, as practise shows, is attributable to the clients. People tend to cheat by indicating their average, approximate consumption in their receipts, or they only indicate whole numbers but not the reading after the decimal point. For the entire building, it translates into many cubic metres. Water meter readings are often taken at a different time than it is the case with the readings of the shared water meter. There is also the understandable “seasonal factor” or the tendency to equalize personal payment in winter by often indicating less consumption. The benefit of doing so is in the payment term – the payment for the water actually consumed is moved to the summer when there is no need to pay for heating; therefore, the total payment in the winter is lower.
An additional factor that causes the difference in water consumption is that the apartments have class B meters installed. Although they have been verified and authorized for utilization, their wide variety creates inaccuracies.
In cases where the water supply cannot be provided to the house (emergencies, long-term water pipe repairs, water pipe freezing, etc.), the house manager RNP shall, upon request, deliver drinking water to the residents in cans. To apply for delivery of water in cans in cases where the water supply to the house is temporarily discontinued, the residents must contact RNP by telephone calling 8900 or by contacting their house manager (the telephone number is indicated in the user’s profile at www.e-parvaldnieks.lv, and it is available by calling 8900).
It is possible in some cases, but several important factors must be considered. The first factor: which part of the water pipe has frozen? If the frozen part of the water pipe is buried underground, thawing will not only take significant time (excavation work, thawing work along with burial work) but it will require additional financial resources (the house administration and management fee does not include water pipe thawing). Moreover, if the air temperature outside is consistently low, e.g., around, or below -15°C degrees even after thawing and excavation, the water pipes might freeze again. In addition, thawing can only be performed on cast iron water pipes, as plastic water pipes cannot be thawed.
In some houses with an old piping system the pipes are buried relatively shallow, without insulation at that. To resolve this issue, a general meeting must be convened with the joint owners and the administrtor of the house present. One of the proposed solutions is the installation of new water pipes with adequate insulation to prevent the water pipes from freezing. However, it should be taken into account that the execution of such large-scale works requires financial resources, both for the development and coordination of the technical plan and the execution of the repair itself.
If the community of apartment owners support this solution, the source of the necessary funds to carry out this activity should be indicated in the decision. They can either use the existing savings or create new ones. Given that every house is different, in order to find a solution according to the problem situations of each house, the joint owners of the house can turn to the building manager or the engineer or manager of the relevant division to jointly evaluate the best solution.
If you notice that there is no water in the house and you suspect that the water pipe is frozen, contact the “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” (RNP) calling 8900 to register the request. After receiving the request, the responsible specialists will contact you to agree on the examination of the circumstances of the situation and on the possible solutions after the inspection.
Water pipe freezing is relatively rare. Most often, water pipes tend to freeze in small residential houses (approximately 4–10 apartments) when the temperature outside drops below -15 °C degrees. It happens because water pipes for small buildings have historically been built relatively close to the surface of the ground. Therefore, the lower the temperature, the greater the frost depth, which may cause the water pipes to freeze.
Whereas, in large residential houses, water pipes do not freeze because they have been installed sufficiently deep or inside technical shafts, while the water supply system is located in the basements of the houses, where the water pipes are protected from low temperatures. Moreover, these basements are often insulated. RNP specialists can tell you the reason for the interruption of the water supply during an inspection after receiving the request.
SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” (hereinafter referred to as RNP) manages around 4,300 residential buildings. Out of the managed residential buildings, approximately 1,200 are involved in co-ownership legal relationships. This means that for these buildings, the necessary land plot is either wholly or partially composed of land owned by other individuals or parts thereof. In European countries, it is uncommon for a building and the land it sits on to have different owners (co-ownership). However, in Latvia, due to land reforms and privatization of buildings, co-ownership has emerged, leading to negative consequences. The owners of apartment properties (hereinafter referred to as apartment owners) have entered into co-ownership legal relationships with landowners.
RNP has approximately 80,000 clients who are required to make lawful land use payments for land use rights.
The main difference between lawful land use rights and forced lease relationships is that lawful land use rights are established by law and do not require a contract between parties for their enforcement.
The land use fee for each residential building is determined taking into account:
The amount of the lawful land use fee changes depending on changes in any of the aforementioned factors. As of January 1, 2022, the lawful land use fee is not subject to VAT.
Starting from January 1, 2022, the reform of forced land lease came into effect, and leases are replaced by lawful land use rights. Under the new regulation, the payment for using land owned by another person in co-ownership situations is set uniformly at 4% of the cadastral value of the land. The payment cannot be less than EUR 50 per year. However, the minimum payment amount does not mean that each apartment owner has to pay at least EUR 50 per year. It is the minimum amount that the landowner must receive as the lawful land use fee.
The owner of a building on land for its use has the right to construct auxiliary structures, engineering structures necessary for the operation of the building, as well as roads, squares, and outdoor elements without the consent of the landowner, provided that it does not change the area or boundaries of the land in use or create encumbrances on the real estate.
The functionally necessary (previously also referred to as “attached” and “necessary for utilization”) plot of land must be determined for each residential house during the privatisation process in accordance with the Law on Privatisation of State and Local Government Residential Houses (hereafter – the Privatisation Law).
The functionally necessary plot of land may include a plot of land, or its part, which cannot be privatized given that it is owned by other persons. For this plot of land, the owners of the apartments in the respective residential houses have legal relations of the compulsory land lease based on the law. The legal relations of the compulsory land lease between the apartment owners of the specific residential house and owners of a specific land exists regardless of their wishes.
Section 50, Paragraph 1, Clause 3, and Section 54 of the Privatisation Law stipulate the obligation for apartment owners and the owners of the plot of land to conclude a written land lease contract for the plot of land under the compulsory land lease. As of 1 January 2010, the obligation of the apartment owners (administrators) to conclude a land lease contract has been established as a mandatory administrative activity of the residential house (Section 6, Paragraph 2, Clause 4 of the Residential House Management Law).
With a written contract on the administration of residential house, apartment owners can delegate another person to execute these duties meaning that this person becomes the administrator of the residential house who shall carry out the specified activity.
RNP is not an institution that determines the plot of land functionally necessary for a residential house, its area, and its borders. In accordance with laws and regulations and Supreme Court rulings, the borders, and territories of the functionally necessary plot of land are determined during the privatisation process binding upon both the apartment owners and the owner of the land. (Judgment by the Department of Administrative Cases of the Senate of the Supreme Court in the case SKA-159/2013, 09.07.2013, in the case SKA-70/2012, 22.03.2012, in the case SKA-46/2010,22.02.2010, and in the case SKA-79/201, 19.03.2010, etc.)
If the item “land lease payment for previous periods” is included in the current invoice, it means that a forced land lease agreement/agreement or a legally effective court decision establishing the legal relationship of forced land lease between RNP and the land plot owner has been concluded for the period up to January 1, 2022. The essential components of this agreement or decision include the subject matter and the lease payment for the previous period. Therefore, based on the concluded forced land lease agreement/agreement or court decision, RNP calculates the land lease payment for previous periods for the owners of apartment properties, which is reflected as “land lease payment for previous periods” in the prepared invoices.
The calculation of the lawful land use will be included in the monthly invoice. The payment for the lawful land use divides into 12 payments instead of four.
The invoice must be fully paid. In case of payment delay, a default interest for each day of delay is calculated. Therefore, if the payment of the previous invoice is delayed, the default interest included in the following invoice shall, for information purposes, be indicated as applicable on the date of issuing the invoice. To get acquainted with the current default interest on the day of paying the invoice, please contact customer service specialists calling on weekdays from 8:00 to 20:00 to SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks”, calling 8900.
We ask any resident of Riga who needs to re-determine compliance with a status of a low-income family (individual) or who is in a crisis to remotely turn (by e-mail or placing the application in a special dropbox) to the Riga Social Service by calling the Welfare Department of the Riga City Council’s FREE telephone information line 80005055 (outside working hours the automatic voicemail is available) or calling Riga Social Service’s telephone information line 67105048 during working days. Current information is available on the website: www.ld.riga.lv
Please be informed that default interest and contractual penalty are not applied to invoices not paid on time during the emergency.
The Law on Termination of Co-ownership in privatized multi-apartment buildings was adopted on November 25, 2021, and came into effect on January 1, 2023.
To initiate the process of exercising the right of termination, the common ownership of the residential building must adopt a decision. The decision to initiate the termination process will be adopted if the apartment owners, who collectively own more than half of all residential apartments in the building, vote in favor.
The decision of the common ownership of apartment owners to initiate the exercise of the right of termination is the legal basis for the municipality to make a decision regarding the land plot necessary for the residential building, specifically whether the area and boundaries need to be revised or not.
Firstly, it is determined which plot of land is considered a plot of land functionally necessary for the residential house according to the territorial plan of the plot of land functionally necessary for the residential house. The ownership rights of the landowner of the (attached) plot of land functionally necessary for the residential house are verified in the land register.
Residential apartment owners have the right to exercise the rights of alienation of the land plot in accordance with the procedures specified in the Law on Termination of Co-ownership in privatized multi-apartment buildings.
To initiate the process of exercising the rights of alienation, the common ownership of the residential building must adopt a decision. The decision to initiate the alienation process will be adopted if the apartment owners, who collectively own more than half of all residential apartments in the building, vote in favor.
Upon agreement of the parties, it is possible to change the area and borders of the plot of land subject to leasing and/or maintenance. However, this agreement does not change the plot of land (and its borders) functionally necessary for the residential house.
Until 30 June 2015, the functionally necessary plot of land could be amended by the Riga Municipality Residential House Privatisation Commission or the court’s ruling.
On 1 July 2015, amendments to the Law on Privatisation of State and Local Government Residential Houses (hereafter – Privatisation Law) entered into force. According to the Law, the owner of a plot of land or the community of apartment owners have the right of initiative for an inspection of a functionally necessary plot of land by the municipality or Riga Municipality Residential House Privatisation Commission (Sections 85 and 86) which may result in change of the borders and area of the plot of land functionally necessary for a residential house.
Riga City Council’s binding regulations No. 177 “Binding Regulations on the Inspection of a Plot of Land Functionally Necessary for a Residential House” of 3 November 2015 prescribe the procedure for inspecting a plot of land functionally necessary for a residential house.
If the apartment owners of a residential house want to have the functionally necessary (attached) plot of land of the residential house inspected, they must decide on the inspection of the functionally necessary plot of land of the residential house in accordance with the Law on Residential Properties. The representative of the residential house shall, based on the community of apartment owners of the residential house decision by which the apartment owners of the residential house have decided to request the inspection of the plot of land functionally necessary for the residential house. Therefore, the representative of the residential house should apply to the Riga Municipality Residential House Privatisation Commission (Pērses iela 10/12, Riga) with a request to draw up a residential plan of the cartographic basis of the plot of land functionally necessary for the residential house to be reviewed, following the Cabinet Regulation No. 522 “Procedure for determining the plot of land functionally necessary for a residential house to be privatized”, as adopted on 8 September 2015, and the Binding Regulation of the Riga City Council No. 177 “Regulations for the revision of the plot of land functionally necessary for a residential house”, as adopted on 3 November 2015.
The State Land Service announces the cadastral value of the immovable property (plot of land) on 1 January of each calendar year. The cadastral value of a plot of land in certain districts of the city of Riga may change each year. RNP cannot affect the cadastral value.
Paragraph 5 of the first part of Article 10 of the Law on Residential Properties stipulates the obligation of apartment owners to pay a land lease fee or lawful land use fee for the land use rights if the residential building is located on land owned by another person.
Amendments to the law ”
The Law on Termination of Co-ownership in privatized multi-apartment buildings sets out the procedure for terminating co-ownership and establishing unified real estate in accordance with the understanding of Article 968 of the Civil Law.
Cabinet Regulation No. 1013 “Procedures by which an Apartment Owner in a Residential Apartment House shall Pay for Services which are Related to Use of the Residential Property”, as adopted on 9 December 2008, stipulates that the fee for waste collection shall be calculated in proportion to the number of persons declared in the apartment, dividing the amount that is formed after subtracting the payments performed by owners or lessees of the non-residential premises and artist’s workshops from the total payment of the residential house. If not one person is declared in the apartment, the calculation shall be performed as for one declared person. If the information on the declared person has been cancelled, the re-calculation for the previous periods of settlement shall not be performed.
Information on the number of declared persons is updated once a month (on the first day of each month) by SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” based on the data provided by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia.
The invoice for waste collection consists not only of the fee for the household waste removed but also the fee for collecting other waste, such as construction debris, hazardous waste, bulky waste, etc. if it is carried out in the month of payment or previous periods. The calculations are made in accordance with the respective invoice issued by the service provider in the payment period by multiplying the amount of waste (m3) removed by the determined price per unit and dividing by the number of persons declared in the residential house during this period.
Cabinet Regulation No. 1013 “Procedures by which an Apartment Owner in a Residential Apartment House shall Pay for Services which are Related to Use of the Residential Property”, as adopted on 9 December 2008, stipulates that the fee for waste collection is calculated in proportion to the number of persons declared in the apartment, dividing the amount that is formed after subtracting the payments performed by owners or lessees of the non-residential premises and artist’s workshops from the total payment of the residential house. If not one person is declared in the apartment, the calculation shall be performed as for one declared person. If the information on the declared person has been cancelled, the re-calculation for the previous periods of settlement shall not be performed.
Apartment owners of the residential house must be involved in the installation of sorted waste containers if there is a free space for installing them in the area attached to the residential house. Apartment owners must inform the administrator of such need by submitting an application:
After the RNP specialist has received the application, it is inspected whether the application is binding and executable. The RNP specialist informs the representative of the residential house about whether or not the sorted waste containers will be installed. If sorted waste containers can be installed within the territory of the residential house, the administrator will send an application to the waste manager for the installation of sorted waste containers, also indicating the number of times per week or month required for emptying the containers. The waste manager installs the containers in the designated place.
Since 20 May 2020, as the new waste management procedure came into force, the removal of the contents of the sorted waste container is subject to a fee if the container contains common unsorted household waste.
A waste disposal area under a canopy contributes to the organization of the environment, but a closed waste shed ensures that strangers do not throw their waste into your containers. The community of apartment owners of the residential house has to decide on the installation of sorted waste containers. However, to commence to develop the plan for the installation of the waste shed, 50% + 1 of the apartment owners must vote “FOR” and agree on the source of funding. The joint decision must be submitted to the administrator.
Additional information on the community of apartment owners’ decision-making procedure and samples of documents for the adoption of joint decisions are available on our website in the section “Klientiem – Kopības lēmumu pieņemšana” (For Clients – Community decision-making).
In cases where someone dumps their waste in a non-designated area, please capture the activity by taking a photo or video and inform the Riga Municipal Police about it!
If the row “Waste Collection” is accompanied by the entry “Fixed Violations” on the invoice, it indicates that the service provider has applied a fine. Fines are imposed in the following cases:
Benches can be installed in the territory of a residential house, but their location needs to be evaluated.
The majority of apartment owners must vote for the installation of benches (50% + 1 apartment owner must vote “FOR”). The house residents can also decide on removing the benches. The community of apartment owners must decide on the source of funding (already existing or new savings) for the installation of the benches. Information on the community’s decision-making and samples of these decisions are available on our website – HERE.
The decision of the community of apartment owners on the installation of benches can be submitted:
To carry out bench restoration works, the apartment owner at the division must contact the house administrator in charge. In case of large-scale repairs, a joint decision of the apartment owners is required. If only slight restoration works are necessary, they can be covered by the management fee, evaluating each case individually. The required work must be discussed with the house administrator, identifying the problem and its possible solution, be it a small-scale painting work or some other small-scale restoration work. Information about the house administrator available in the profile of every client at www.e-parvaldnieks.lv, where the house administrator name, surname and contact phone number are indicated.
The tree is cut down without the apartment owners’ decision if the building authority has deemed it dangerous. To plant a new one, a joint decision is necessary given that the territory attached to the residential house is a joint property.
Tree and bush maintenance is carried out following the restoration work plan of the residential house. If the maintenance is not planned, but the apartment owners complain that, for example, the branches of a bush cause inconveniences, with the decision of the community indicating the source of funding, it is possible to carry out the necessary work within a given year.
The Law on Residential Properties stipulates that the community has the right to decide on any issue related to the joint property. The community decides how to improve the area: plant trees and bushes, create a closed waste shed, install a children’s playground, etc.
Before the community decides to plant trees/bushes, we invite you to consult with the administrator (specialist) of your house to find out where in the assigned territory planting is allowed, to prevent a situation where trees and/or bushes are planted, for example, on the “red lines” (where water pipes, electrical wires, etc. are located).
Uncoordinated creation of flower beds and greenery in the joint ownership of a residential house is not allowed, as the joint owners of a residential house may have different opinions on the maintenance of flower beds and greenery.
According to Section 15, Paragraph 1 of the Law on Residential Properties, the administrative body of the residential house divided into residential properties is the community of apartment owners. Therefore, the improvement of the territory attached to the residential house is decided by the apartment owners of the residential house. To carry out the territory improvement works, a decision of the community of apartment owners is required, where in a general meeting or by conducting a questionnaire with 50% + 1 vote of “FOR”, they have decided on carrying out these works, indicating the source of funding.
More information on how to convene a general meeting of apartment owners is available HERE.
If the flower beds are created without the decision of the community of the residential house, there is a possibility that the flower beds will be destroyed by mowing. To avoid this situation and elude having to watch the well-kept flower bed getting destroyed, please first coordinate the idea with the community of the residential house and inform the administrator.
Additional information about the cleaning of the shared areas of a particular residential house can be received in the Customer Service Centres, as well as from the head or building manager at the territorial division.
The procedure for maintaining the territory and shared areas of the residential house is determined by the Cabinet Regulation No. 906 “Regulations Regarding the Sanitary Maintenance of a Residential House”, as adopted on 28 September 2010. The provisions are available HERE.
For the convenience of the clients, informative guidelines on monthly invoices are available. In case of questions or uncertainties, please refer to the informative guidelines on the content of the monthly invoice.
The information is available HERE.
The calculation of the consumed thermal energy for hot water and circulation (if used in the house) is carried out according to the methodology specified in the Riga City Council’s Instruction No. 9 “Procedure for the Distribution and Calculation of Fees for the Thermal Energy Consumed in a Residential House Owned or Administered by the Riga Municipality), as adopted on 24 August 2010.
The applied methodology for the distribution of the consumed thermal energy in the summer and winter (heating season) varies. The thermal energy consumed during the heating season for hot water heating is calculated by subtracting the thermal energy consumed for hot water circulation and heating from the total thermal energy consumed. To calculate the costs of heating 1m³ of water, the thermal energy received is divided by the amount of water heated. Meanwhile, during the summer accounting period, the thermal energy used for hot water heating is calculated by subtracting the thermal energy used for hot water circulation from the total thermal energy consumed. To calculate the costs of heating 1m³ of water, the amount of thermal energy received is divided by the amount of water heated.
The Company also explains that the shared water meter of the residential house registers only cold-water consumption. According to the hot water readings submitted by the apartment owners, the amount of consumed hot water from the total cold water in cubic meters is determined. Meanwhile, thermal energy in the residential house is registered by the thermal energy meter of the IHS (individual heating system), according to which the amount of thermal energy necessary for heating the water is determined. If the apartment owners do not submit the readings of the hot water meters in good faith, i.e., the indicated consumption is less than the actual one (because the hot water is actually consumed more than indicated), the cost of hot water per 1 m³ per unit will increase.
For the fee to correspond to the actual consumption, it is necessary to install cold-water and hot-water meters in all apartments and submit the readings of the water meters to the Company to calculate the costs within the specified period.
Meanwhile, the Company informs that the thermal energy tariff is determined by the service provider, i.e., AS “Rīgas siltums”, based on the natural gas trade tariff applicable to AS “Gaso” in the respective month. Each month, the heat tariff is published on the website of AS “Rīgas siltums” at www.rs.lv.
One of the typical reasons why the amount paid/transferred by clients for the payment of the received invoice is not linked to the specified invoice number or client code is the incorrect or unspecified payment order in the payment objective. When making a payment, clients often do not indicate the invoice number, i.e., the residential property the payment is made for but indicate the beneficiary’s account, i.e., RNP. As a result, the payment for the administration and received services invoice or the land lease invoice end up in the RNP account. However, the payment is not linked to any invoice/client code. Therefore, it ends up in the unidentified payments of RNP or linked to another invoice if the invoice number is incorrectly specified in the payment order.
If such a problem has occurred with your payment, please write an e-mail to rnparvaldnieks@rnparvaldnieks.lv, attaching a printout of the payment confirmation for RNP specialists to be able to recognize it and to link it to the payment of the invoice for which it was intended.
Please remember that the number of invoices for the administration and received services and the invoice number of the land lease are individual for each client. Therefore, please settle the invoices separately, indicating the invoice number which is visible in the upper right corner and consists of a client code with eight (8) characters and five (5) more characters after the slash. The payments will not be recognized by address, personal identity code, name/surname, or other parameters.
Since 6 November 2014, apartment owners’ calculations related to household waste management/collection, included in the invoices for administration and received services, are carried out in proportion to the number of persons declared in the apartment (the procedure is stipulated by the Cabinet Regulation No. 1013 “Procedures by which an Apartment Owner in a Residential Apartment House shall Pay for Services which are Related to Use of the Residential Property”, as adopted on 9 December 2008).
As of 19 December 2014, municipal apartment tenants’ calculations related to the household waste management/collection included in the administration and invoices for received services are made proportionally to the number of persons declared in the apartment (the procedure is stipulated by the Cabinet Regulation No. 999 “Procedures by which Tenants and Lessors of Residential Space Settle Accounts with Service Providers for Services that are Associated with the Use of a Residential Space”, as adopted on 12 December 2006).
The information registered in the invoice accounting database of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” about the number of persons declared in the properties on the 1st of the month is changed automatically, based on the statistics provided by the Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs (hereafter – OCMA) of the Ministry of the Interior of the Republic of Latvia taking it as a basis for calculations. If, during the calendar month, the number of declared persons changes, such changes will be reflected in the OCMA data on the 1st of the following month, and the corresponding calculation will be included in the invoice of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” for the respective month.
Invoices issued by RNP can be paid at the cash desks of the store “Maxima”, VAS “Latvijas pasts”, as well as at the branches of the banks indicated below (see the bank details).
Invoices issued electronically by RNP can be paid via a bank transfer using internet banking services
Payment details:
| RIKOLV2X | “Luminor Bank” AS Latvijas filiāles konts |
LV63RIKO0002013197596 |
| HABALV22 | AS „Swedbank” | LV98HABA0551030734837 |
| PARXLV22 | AS “Citadele banka” | LV83PARX0013044380019 |
| UNLALV2X | AS „SEB banka” | LV65UNLA0050017186820 |
Yes, by registering in RNP’s free self-service vortal www.e-parvaldnieks.lv!
We also encourage you to opt out of receiving monthly invoices in printed form by clicking next to the option “Saņemt drukātu rēķinu” (Receive a Printed Invoice) in the “Mani līgumi” (My Contracts) section of the user account at www.e-parvaldnieks.lv and moving the cursor to the left (until it turns grey). Only the apartment owner can opt out of receiving printed invoices.
Opting out of receiving printed invoices is possible only for the apartment owner by clicking next to the option “Saņemt drukātu rēķinu” (Receive a Printed Invoice) in the “Mani līgumi” (My Contracts) section of the vortal e-parvaldnieks.lv and moving the cursor to the left (until it turns grey).
The money paid for the management of the residential house ensures the successful execution of management and administrative activities, i.e., it ensures the organisation and execution of administrative activities of the residential house, as well as covers the payments for the necessary and received materials and the work performed (labour force), also covering administrative costs, such as concluding contracts, water meter readings, accounting, etc.
The management fee for each residential house is calculated individually, based on the technical parameters of the house and the condition in general. The management fee consists of several crucial administrative activity costs, such as maintenance of the residential house and the attached territory, technical maintenance of the water supply and sewage pipeline system, etc.
For each house, a summary of planned revenue and expenditure estimate for the mandatory maintenance and management works of the residential house for the next year is drawn up on an annual basis. It specifies the components of the management fee, namely, which services and their costs are included in the management fee. The apartment owner can view the management estimate of residential house at RNP Customer Service Centres both in person and electronically at www.e-parvaldnieks.lv.
It is because the apartment owner who has concluded a management and administration contract is registered in the RNP database. RNP must be informed separately if the apartment owner has changed.
If the apartment owner has changed, it is necessary to contact any RNP Customer Service Centre by presenting a document certifying ownership rights (for example, a Land Registry certificate, inheritance contract, etc.). It is also recommended to conclude a management and administration agreement. Once the information about the change of ownership rights is submitted, monthly invoices for management and received services will be issued, indicating the name and surname of the new/existing apartment owner.
A fine is calculated in case of late payment of the monthly invoice, for each late payment day according to the provisions of the concluded contract. The invoice payment term is indicated in each monthly invoice for management and received services.
Cabinet Regulation No. 1013 (adopted 9 December 2008) “Procedures by which an Apartment Owner in a Residential Apartment House shall Pay for Services which are Related to Use of the Residential Property” stipulates that the fee for waste collection is calculated in proportion to the number of persons declared in the apartment, dividing the amount that is formed after subtracting the payments performed by owners or lessees of the non-residential premises and artist’s workshops from the total payment of the residential house. If not one person is declared in the apartment, the calculation shall be performed as for one declared person. If information on the declared person has been cancelled, the re-calculation for the previous periods of settlement shall not be performed.
If the row “Waste Collection” is accompanied by the entry “Fixed Violations” on the invoice, it indicates that the service provider has applied a fine. Fines are imposed in the following cases:
Hot water circulation in a building is necessary to independently maintain the temperature of hot water in the supply system, thereby reducing the need to continuously drain water to receive it hot. The calculation of the cost of hot water circulation is carried out in accordance with Instruction No. 9 of the Riga City Council dated 24.08.2010, “Procedure for the Distribution and Calculation of Heat Energy Consumption Charges in Multi-Apartment Residential Buildings owned or managed by the Riga City Council,” Article 3, Point 9 – hot water circulation is defined as a constant quantity, calculated on a per-property basis at 0.1 MWh regardless of the season, and it is also calculated even if the property is disconnected from the building’s central hot water supply system.
The invoice must be paid in full amount. In case of payment delay, a late payment fee is calculated for each day of delay. Therefore, if the previous invoice payment was delayed, the late payment fee indicated on the next invoice is provided for informational purposes at the time of invoice preparation. To find out the current amount of the late payment fee on the day of invoice payment, please contact our customer service specialists by calling the unified telephone number 8900 of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” on business days from 8:00 to 20:00.
For residents of Riga who need to establish eligibility for a disadvantaged or low-income family/person status or who are facing a crisis situation, we invite you to contact the Riga Social Services remotely (via email or by submitting an application in the designated box). You can also call the free information hotline of the Welfare Department of the Riga City Council at 80005055 (outside working hours, a voice mailbox is available), or during working hours on business days, you can call the information hotline of the Riga Social Services at 67105048. Updated information can be found on the website www.ld.riga.lv.
Kevin is a fast, simple, and secure payment method that allows you to make online purchases by directly transferring funds from your bank account. Payments with Kevin are instant and always free of charge. There is no need for registration. Kevin is a licensed payment institution (Kevin EU, UAB is registered with the Financial and Capital Market Commission as a payment service provider, ensuring secure payment processing and data security – https://uzraudziba.bank.lv/tirgus-dalibnieki/maksajumu-pakalpojumu-sniedzeji/maksajumu-iestades/pakalpojumu-sniedzeji-no-eez/pakalpojumu-sniegsanas-briviba/kevin-eu-uab/).
More information: https://rnparvaldnieks.lv/rnp-klientu-vortala-rekinu-apmaksu-nodrosinas-maksajumu-sistema-kevin/
In order to respect the rights of the apartment owners, while not violating the requirements governing the protection of personal data of natural persons, as specified in the relevant laws and regulations, RNP has developed a procedure by which apartment owners can receive information related to the debtors of their residential house.
The apartment owner (or their authorized representative) must visit any RNP Customer Service Centre, presenting documents proving personal identity and certifying the ownership rights of the apartment. The customer service specialist will evaluate the submitted documents and against the signature will provide information about the debtors of the residential house.
In case of late payment, the default interest is calculated for each day of delay. Therefore, if the payment of the previous invoice is delayed, the default interest included in the following invoice shall, for information purposes, be indicated as applicable on the date of issuing the invoice. To get acquainted with the current default interest on the day of paying the invoice, please contact SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” customer service specialists by calling 8900.
The default interest is calculated for each day of delay and is deducted at the time of payment, first paying off the default interest and then the principal debt. The principal debt is reduced firstly by paying off the previous obligation, i.e., the default interest is paid first and then the principal debt.
Special debt administration procedures are initially used to recover the debt, including the tools of informative influence. If an agreement is not reached, legal proceedings are initiated, which, in accordance with the laws and regulations, is a time-consuming process. Therefore, debt recovery unfortunately takes time. RNP submits to the court claims for debt recovery against apartment owners of a residential house who evade paying for the received services and do not seek to settle the debt towards with the Company.
In the event of issues with the functioning of the central heating system, please contact PS “Siltumserviss Rīga” calling 80000610, fill out the online form at http://www.siltumserviss.lv/zino/, or send an application to SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” e-mail address rnparvaldnieks@rnparvaldnieks.lv, indicating the address of the residential house, apartment number and contact phone number.
RNP starts the heating of all houses under its administration at the beginning of the heating season, taking into account the weather conditions over several days. In previous years, the heating season in Riga started around 15 October.
Considering that RNP, in cooperation with AS “Rīgas siltums”, made significant changes in the settings of the automated heating units of the heat supply systems of apartment residential houses in the heating season of 2013/2014, the massive shutdown of heating in houses administered by RNP will no longer be necessary, except for the houses with solid fuel boilers.
If the community of apartment owners deems it necessary to commence the heating season earlier than the RNP has specified, the community of apartment owners must make a decision at a general meeting or by conducting a questionnaire, and the adopted decision must be submitted to the RNP. The heating is connected within the term/day specified in the decision of the apartment owners.
After the heating is connected, stabilization of the heating system starts. It is also important to vent the system, sometimes even several times, to ensure full heating. Therefore, we ask you to give it a time. However, if you still observe persistent heating disturbances in the apartment, please inform us about it in one of the following ways:
When sending the application, you must indicate the address of the residential house, apartment number and contact phone number.
We also remind you that the houses are equipped with an automatic heating system that responds to the outside temperature. Once the outside temperature reaches +12 degrees, the heat supply is discontinued, so do not worry if the radiators cool down when the air temperature rises.
There are no individual metering devices in the apartments, and in accordance with the relevant laws and regulations, the calculation is made according to the heated area of the apartment. We are obligated to apply the calculation methodology specified in the relevant laws and regulations*. The current laws and regulations do not allow us to make a sole decision and change the calculation procedure, including reducing the payments for an apartment owner.
*Riga City Council Instruction No. 9 (adopted 24 August 2010) “Procedure for calculating the distribution and fee of thermal energy consumed in residential houses owned or managed by Riga municipality”.
The fee for thermal energy is calculated according to the amount of thermal energy consumed by the consumer of the residential house (thermal energy consumption accounting is provided by the house’s shared thermal energy commercial meter belonging to AS “RĪGAS SILTUMS”). AS “RĪGAS SILTUMS” calculates the consumed thermal energy according to the amount of thermal energy consumed in each residential house during the billing period and not according to the date when the thermal energy supply was connected to the residential house.
RNP heating costs for a specific residential house are calculated based on the invoice submitted by AS “Rīgas siltums”, which indicates the fee for the consumed megawatt-hours for water heating, including central heating, supply, and circulation of hot water (if such services are provided in the house).
The calculation methodology is defined in the Riga City Council of the Republic of Latvia Instruction No. 9, “Procedure for calculating the distribution and fee of thermal energy consumed in apartment residential houses owned or managed by Riga municipality”.
For more information, contact the employees of the House Renovation Department by sending an e-mail to siltinasana@rnparvaldnieks.lv.
The energy audit will provide information on:
Executing the energy audit of the residential house is mandatory if the apartment owners of the residential house plan to decide on the renovation of the residential house by attracting European Union funding.
More information about the energy audit is available on the website in the “Energoaudits” (Energy audits) section under “Māju atjaunošana” (House renovation).
According to the Binding Regulations of the Riga City Council No. 19 (adopted 15 December 2017) “The procedure for which the Riga City Municipality assists with energy efficiency in a residential house and renovation of a residential house”, the municipal co-funding of 80% of the energy audit costs is provided for the execution of energy audits of residential houses, but no more than EUR 426.86.
To receive co-funding from the municipality for the execution of an energy audit in compliance with the requirements of the mentioned regulations, residential house owners must assume the administration rights from the municipality and conclude an administration contract of the residential house.
It is estimated that the average cost of an energy audit in 2018 was around EUR 490.00.
The energy audit for a residential house is not only necessary to find the causes of heat loss but also to find a proper solution for each house. The energy audit will provide information about the existing energy efficiency indicators of the building, proposals for house insulation (work to be performed and materials to be used), the forecast of energy efficiency indicators after the implementation of insulation measures, etc.
Regarding the possibility of renovating a residential house, we recommend consulting the employees of the House Renovation Department by an e-mail to siltinasana@rnparvaldnieks.lv.
Yes, an energy audit can be carried out in the summer or at any time of the year. Whereas thermography can only be carried out if the difference between the house temperature and the outdoor temperature is at least 10 degrees. However, thermography is not a mandatory part of the energy audit.
Yes, it is possible. You can receive:
Co-funding by the European Union – by applying for the renovation of a residential house with in the energy efficiency improvement program of AS “Development financial institution ALTUM” (ALTUM) in the amount of up to 50% for the full renovation of a house. More information is available on the website, in the “ES atbalsts” (EU support) section under “Māju atjaunošana” (House renovation).
Co-funding by the municipality:
More information – https://atjauno.riga.lv
More information – http://www.renove.lv
To receive funding for the renovation of a residential house, please House Renovation Department staff by e-mail at siltinasana@rnparvaldnieks.lv or by contacting the house renovation project managers, whose details are listed in on the website in “ES atbalsts” (EU support) section under “Māju atjaunošana” (House renovation).
Currently, no laws and regulations specify the time for repair works. Sub-paragraph 2.8 of the Cabinet Regulation No. 16, “Noise Assessment and Management Procedure”, should be taken into account when carrying out repairs. The regulation stipulates that these rules do not apply to repair works carried out during the day and evening (from 7:00 to 21:00) and construction works coordinated with the local municipality. The subject matter of this regulation is the noise that occurs or is generated as an integral part of a specific activity and not as a result of simple noise. Therefore, the noise generated in the residential house during the renovation works, according to the mentioned regulation, is not a legal issue but a question of the mutual culture, intelligence, and respect of the neighbours themselves.
We recommend that before carrying out any repair works involving a high noise level, put up notices to inform and warn the other residents of the residential house about the times when the repair works are carried out.
If the owner wants to carry out cosmetic repairs in their apartment, such as installing wallpapers, painting walls, hammering nails into the wall, etc., which do not make a lot of noise, they can do so without approval.
However, if the owner wants to carry out major repair works related to reconstruction, changing the layout and the use of the premises affecting load-bearing and non-load-bearing structures, changing windows and doorways, changing sound insulation or coverings between floors, they must be coordinated with the Riga City Construction Board, but the sketch for reconstruction and construction plan must be also coordinated with the RNP. Regulations for these repair works, and the necessary information are available at the Riga City Construction Board at Amatu iela 4, Riga, as well as on the website of the Construction Board at https://www.rpbv.lv.
Contamination with construction debris in the shared areas of the building is not allowed during construction and repair works. When carrying out repair works, the apartment owner must ensure the delivery and removal of a separate container. It is the responsibility of the owner to hire a company that offers such services, or he can alternatively contact RNP in this regard.
If the heated towel rail is replaced with a similar one (identically arranged), it is sufficient for the apartment owner to submit an application to the administrator, guaranteeing that the diameter of the towel rail will not be reduced, and the arrangement will not be changed. In the application, the apartment owner also states that in case of water leakage or interruptions, the defects will be repaired within three days. However, if the arrangement is changed, for example, the towel dryer is moved to the opposite wall changing its connection to the water system and the towel rail is dismantled, it is necessary to develop a plan and coordinate it with the administrator, just like when changing a radiator.
If you decide to dismantle the towel rail, remember that the lack of this heating element in your apartment does not exempt you from paying for hot water circulation. In accordance with the methodology used for the distribution and calculation of the cost of consumed thermal energy, Sub-paragraph 11 of Riga City Council’s Instruction No. 9 (adopted 24 August 2010) “Procedures for the distribution and calculation of fees for thermal energy consumed in apartment residential houses owned or managed by the Riga municipality” stipulates that the consumer pays for the amount of thermal energy consumed for hot water circulation even in cases where the property is disconnected from the shared hot water supply system of the house, as well as if the consumer is absent or the consumption of hot water in the property is equal to zero during the billing period.
Firstly, you must calculate the parameters of the power required and choose the right type of radiator. Together with a specialist of your choice who is certified in heat supply design, you must develop technical documentation and calculate the heat loss of the apartment. Based on that calculation, choose the size, type, and connection scheme of the new heating elements. The plan must not only specify the technical parameters of the radiators but also forecast the changes to the heat supply system in the building, including the calculation of changes in the hydraulic mode, the calculation of the heat output for heating the shared areas of the house and the heat output from the risers that remain in the apartment after the reconstruction.
The development of technical documentation guarantees not only a technically correct replacement of heating elements that do not affect the further functioning of the heating system but also allows more accurate calculations so that the replacement of heating elements is more economical. The technical documentation must be coordinated with the district heating engineer of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” (RNP) by submitting the documentation in 2 copies. After coordination, it is necessary to disconnect and empty the respective risers of the heating system. However, after the radiator replacement, the heating system needs to be renewed.
If the radiator replacement is carried out without coordination, the heating system for the entire house can be damaged. To avoid causing a possible problem situation, assign the radiator replacement to a certified specialist or company. RNP does not offer radiator replacement services.
Please keep in mind that the radiator replacement can only be performed until 31 August, after the heating season has ended, after coordinating the technical documentation with the administrator in advance!
Radiator replacement in the apartment can only take place until 31 August, after the heating season has ended, and after coordinating the technical documentation with the administrator in advance!
Yes, before replacing the radiators in the apartment, the apartment owner must coordinate the technical documentation with the district heating engineer of SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” (RNP) by submitting the documentation in 2 copies.
If the radiator replacement is carried out without coordination, the heating system for the whole house can be damaged. To avoid causing possible problem situations, assign the radiator replacement to a certified specialist or company. Before starting the repair work, the apartment owner or the appointed service provider must settle on the release of water from the respective riser during the replacement of the heating elements. To apply for this paid service, please contact the RNP, calling the information phone number 8900 on working days from 8:00 to 20:00. The service is provided by PS “Siltumserviss Rīga,” which should be contacted after the repair work is completed to perform a hydraulic check, filling and venting of the heating system. RNP does not offer radiator replacement services.
Radiator or towel rail technical documentation or an application for towel rail replacement can be submitted:
Replacement of the existing radiator with one the capacity of which is not intended for the heating system can affect the heating system of the entire house. Whereas an incorrect installation of the towel rail can affect the hot water supply and the heating during the heating season. For uncoordinated radiator replacement, the apartment owner faces a fine and can be ordered to replace the radiators with a heating element of suitable power.
Every apartment owner should remember that Section 4 of the Law on Residential Properties stipulates that the joint property includes engineering communication systems, devices servicing the residential house and other indivisible elements functionally associated with the exploitation of the residential house, which do not belong to an individual property (including the heating elements within the boundaries of the individual property if their functional activity depends on the existing engineering communications of the joint property. It means that the radiators and towel rails in the residential property (including those that are privatized) constitute part of the shared heating system of the house and not the property of each apartment owner. If the apartment owner changes the radiators at his own expense, it shall be considered that he willingly invests in the joint property. If the owner sells the property or is forced to leave, he does not have the right to dismantle the radiators installed at his own expense.
We would like to remind you that paid services, in this case, the interruption of the hot water supply and the emptying of the heating system, are carried out in an established sequence. Therefore, we ask you not to leave the necessary repairs for the last moment.
To install gas heating or change the type of heating for the entire house, you must first apply to the Housing and Environment Department for a permit allowing the construction or reconstruction of local heat sources or changing the type of heating. If the construction of a local heat source is allowed in a residential house, firstly, the community of apartment owners of the residential house must make a decision following the procedures specified in the Law on Residential Properties. After that, a plan will be necessary – planned capacity of the heat source, capacity increase during the reconstruction of the heat source, and type of fuel.
A separate apartment can opt out of central heating. For the installation of a new local heat supply source, contact the Riga City Council Housing and Environment Department to see whether the construction of a new local heat source will be allowed at the mentioned address. If the construction of a new local heat source is allowed in the respective territory, the apartment owner must receive the approval of 75% of the house’s apartment owners beforehand given that the engineering communications system of the building (including the central heating system) is joint property. If the community of apartment owners of a residential house allows an apartment to opt-out of central heating, the meeting minutes, certified by the signatures of all owners, must be submitted to SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks” and if the gas heating is installed – to AS “GASO.”
However, even if you have obtained the permission, it will not be easy to execute such a plan with a type of fuel that requires its burning. An apartment located on the top floor of the house will not experience any problems, whereas an apartment located on any other floor of a residential house will be required to receive a permit to connect to the shared ventilation system of the house to remove emissions from the heating boiler. If permission is not granted, it will be necessary to develop a design in which the chimney is located by the external wall of the house. Therefore, for the construction, another permission from all apartment owners, certifying that no one objects to changes to the facade, is required. In addition, hydraulic calculations for the heating system will be required, as the existing system is to be changed.
Such requirements are related to technical requirements – they can affect the heating system of the entire house or even endanger it or affect the safety of neighbours – incompetent handling of gas is extremely dangerous.
To coordinate an application for the change of electric power, you must:
Submit the technical regulations along with a completed approval form to SIA “Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks”
If the apartment owners of a residential house decide to enter into a direct payment contract with a service provider (for example, for heat, water, sewage or waste collection) the service provider will issue a separate monthly invoice for the service provided in the previous month to the apartment owner of the respective residential house (currently the fee for the specific service is included in the monthly service invoice issued by RNP).
It means that instead of receiving one RNP invoice, apartment owners will receive several separate invoices – the invoice issued by RNP, the invoice for water and sewerage, the invoice for thermal energy, and the invoice for waste management.
Moreover, in addition to the costs of the provided service, the monthly invoices will also include an invoicing fee, and instead of paying an invoicing fee for one RNP invoice, the client shall pay the commission (to the bank, post office, store) for several invoices.
According to the information submitted by service providers to RNP, the monthly invoicing fee is:
Each service provider has calculated the administrative costs of preparing one invoice. RNP encourages you to contact the respective service provider for more information on the invoicing fees for each specific service.
RNP will collect the questionnaires apartment owners, draw up voting minutes and send them to all apartment owners of the respective residential house.
If the community of apartment owners decides “against” direct payments, the calculation procedure for services will remain unchanged. RNP will make service calculations and settle the accounts with service providers according to mutually concluded contracts, and every following month, each apartment owner will receive one of the invoices for administration of residential house and received services issued by RNP.
The community of apartment owners’ decisions shall be made in compliance with the provisions of Sections 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of the Law on Residential Properties (hereafter – the Law).
According to Section 19 of the Law:
All decisions of the community of apartment owners shall have equal legal force regardless of the manner in which they were taken.
All decisions taken by the community of apartment owners shall be drawn up in writing (Section 18, Paragraph 5 of the Law).
Decisions made by the community of apartment owners regarding direct payments can be submitted to any RNP Customer Service Department and the respective service provider within 2 (two) weeks from the date of the decision.
Additional information on the decision-making procedure of the community of apartment owners and drawing up minutes of general meetings of apartment owners is available in RNP Customer Service Departments and on the website www.rnparvaldnieks.lv.
The decision of the community of apartment owners must contain the following information:
The community of apartment owners can make a decision to use the direct payment procedure with specific service providers or with all service providers.
For example, if the apartment owners decide to settle the direct payments only with SIA “Rīgas siltums”, then, in the future, SIA “Rīgas siltums” will issue a separate invoice for each apartment owner, additionally to the RNP invoice, including the thermal energy fee and the invoicing fee.
If the apartment owners decide on settling the direct payments with all service providers, separate contracts shall be concluded with each service provider, for example, SIA “Rīgas siltums”, SIA “Rīgas ūdens”.
Regardless of the type of service payment (direct payments or through RNP), the service provider will provide services to the residential house as a whole, not to each apartment owner individually. Therefore, if the majority of apartment owners (50% + 1) decide to implement the direct payment procedure in the residential house, it will be binding on all apartment owners of the respective residential house, including those who have voted “against” direct payments.
Natural ventilation is crucial so that in the event of a gas leak it is discharged outside the house, thus preventing dangerous gas concentrations and explosions. Insufficient ventilation or low-quality indoor air not only increases the risks of fire but also negatively affects human health and the condition of the house. When connecting the range hood to the only natural ventilation duct, the so-called “closed lid” principle occurs because when the range hood is switched off, it completely closes the natural ventilation in the apartment.
Specialists of the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) inspect the apartment of a specific residential house only if a request has been received from the apartment owner. VUGD specialists do not inspect the apartment range hoods at their initiative. Upon receiving a complaint about a specific case to evaluate the factors mentioned in the complaint, the VUGD must inform the respective apartment owner in writing about the inspection in advance.
VUGD employees have the right to access a particular apartment to verify the compliance of the structures and other elements installed in the apartment with the requirements of the laws and regulations in force in the Republic of Latvia.
Upon suspecting a violation of fire-prevention regulations in a residential house, the residents are encouraged to contact the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) requesting to inspect the site. The contact details of VUGD are available on the website – https://www.vugd.gov.lv/lv/iestades-kontakti.
Paragraph 89, Sub-paragraph 9.10. of the Cabinet Regulation No. 238 “Fire Safety Regulations” stipulates that it is prohibited to attach a mechanical ventilation device to the natural ventilation duct in a multi-apartment object if a gas apparatus has been placed in the room and there is no ventilation which ensures the permanent exchange of air in the room and discharge of the leaked gas outside the structure. It means that if a gas stove is installed in the apartment and there is no additional ventilation duct in the space, the range hood must not be connected to the ventilation duct.
If an electronic stove is installed in the apartment, the range hood can be attached to the ventilation duct, but it must be coordinated with the building authority.
Any changes to the load-bearing structures of the residential house, including drilling a hole in the external wall of the building, must be coordinated with the Riga City Construction Board.
For additional information, please contact the City Development Department of Riga City Council at Amatu iela 4, Riga, by calling 67105800 or by sending an e-mail to pad@riga.lv.
According to Cabinet Regulation No. 238 “Fire Safety Regulations”, cleaning of the natural ventilation duct of a residential house and mandatory inspection of the technical condition must be performed once in five years.
When a fire breaks out, seconds make the difference given that fire spreads quickly. When installing a smoke detector, this small device will emit high-pitch sound thus reporting if smoke caused by a fire has formed in the house. It attracts people’s attention, allows the apartment residents to save themselves, and call the fire department.
As world experience shows, the use of smoke detectors is an effective way to protect the lives of house residents from the danger of a sudden fire. Smoke detector installation in homes reduces the number of people killed in fires by up to 75%.
Paragraph 1 of the Fire Safety Regulations No. 238 stipulates fire safety requirements to be complied with by natural and legal persons in order to prevent and successfully extinguish fires, as well as to reduce the consequences thereof irrespective of the type of ownership and location of the object. It means that the apartment owner must comply with fire safety requirements in their residential property.
The installation of a smoke detector is very simple. It can be performed by anyone who knows how to drill a couple of small holes in the wall or ceiling and attach the detector body with the help of dowels and screws included in the device set. An even easier option is to attach the smoke detector with double-sided adhesive tape. In the instruction manual, the manufacturer usually also indicates the best locations for installation.
The prices of the detectors depend on the manufacturer and the additional built-in functions, but on average they cost around EUR 5.00–10.00. It could create a financial burden for the apartment owners, but the costs are not as great as they would be if there was a fire in the house and it was not detected in time.
Smoke detectors can be purchased in stores for electrical and household goods stores, in specialized fire protection equipment stores, as well as in supermarkets and retail stores.
When purchasing a smoke detector, make sure that it has the “CE” mark on it and information about compliance with the European standard NE 14604. The package must include instructions in the State language.
The minimum requirement is one smoke detector per apartment. However, it is recommended to install one in every room where the apartment residents stay and engage in activities, i.e., in areas where a potential fire outbreak can take place.
A smoke detector is a relatively simple device to install. The smoke detector base or board is attached to the ceiling or the wall remaining there forever. The best place for the detector would be the ceiling of the bedroom and hallway near the bedroom door. If the detector cannot be attached to the ceiling, it can be placed on the wall close to the ceiling. However, it cannot be placed directly inside of the ceiling or wall, given that in case of a fire, it would be hard to wake up the sleeping house residents. Moreover, the detectors located in other rooms will be useful to warn the residents about a fire occurring in a particular space.
A smoke detector placed on a cabinet or shelf will function within a certain range given that the smoke rises towards the ceiling, concentrates there and only then begins to fill the room downwards, so in this case, the detector will sense the smoke a little later than the one placed near the ceiling. Fire spreads very quickly, and often even this short delay can be decisive in the ability of the residents of the apartment to put out the fire or to leave the burning premises.
Image source: State Fire and Rescue Service “About smoke detectors”.
Maintenance of the installed detector is simple. All you need is to replace the power supply element, i.e., the battery in a timely manner, check the operation of the detector and wipe the dust in the order specified in the instruction manual. Anyone can do this successfully. A new battery lasts about two years. The detector itself has automatic control of the battery power, which will timely warn you with a signal indicating the need to replace the battery. In accordance with the instructions, the detector should be checked from time to time. Most often by pressing the control (test) button, a high-pitch sound should be emitted. If that is the case, the detector is functioning. It is recommended to check it once a month.
The existence of smoke detectors in the residential property can be verified by the State Fire Safety Supervision Officer upon receiving the respective information or by performing an unplanned fire safety inspection. Section 179 of the Latvian Administrative Violations Code stipulates that “for the violation of fire safety regulations a fine shall be imposed on natural persons in an amount from thirty to two hundred and eighty euros, on legal persons – from two hundred and eighty to one thousand four hundred euros”.
In order to ensure that the apartment owner and his family member has access to the housing and the environment, he shall, in accordance with the construction requirements and upon notifying the community of apartment owners (residential house administrator) in advance, be entitled to:
It means that the apartment owner will be able to install a lift in the stairwell of the residential house or a ramp at the entrance of the house without coordinating it with the other apartment owners but in compliance with all construction requirements. Also, coordination will not be necessary if the ramp is to be installed for an apartment with a separate entrance to the house.
Riga City Council Welfare Department, in cooperation with the Riga Social Service, provides a wheelchair lift for use – up to EUR 5950 per lift. Read more information HERE.
To submit the required documents:
Information on the current area of apartments/non-residential premises is obtained from the State Immovable Property Cadastre, which, pursuant to Section 3 of the State Immovable Property Cadastre Law, is a unified registration system, which ensures the obtaining of data on immovable properties in the territory of the State, their objects, as well as maintenance and use of the abovementioned data.
The useful area of the house, which is the total area of the apartments in the residential house (without applying the reducing factor to the outdoor spaces of the apartment) is used for calculations of the administration fee.
