CURRENT INTERVIEW "How easy it is to register a house"

The construction of a residential building, as a rule, takes years. Some new residents strive to move into fully completed premises. Others do not mind speeding up the move even if much will have to be finished in the process, and move into housing that has not been commissioned. As a result, they pay many times more for utilities. We discuss how the state supports individual developers with Zhanna PODOLYAKO, Head of the Department of Architecture and Construction, Housing and Communal Services of the District Executive Committee.

– A residential building can be commissioned without carrying out certain types of work, for example, exterior and interior finishing, and in rural areas – without the construction of non-residential capital buildings and landscaping, if it does not impede its use. Meanwhile, engineering communications must be carried out: electricity, water supply and sewerage, including the installation of metering devices. This requires a package of documents: a certificate for the land plot, a construction permit, design documentation, a statement of technical characteristics. With it, you should contact the district executive committee for a decision on the approval of the acceptance certificate and for registration with the BTI, – Zhanna Dmitrievna explains. – Also, Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 253 of July 25, 2022, provides for a simplified procedure for commissioning construction objects. It is temporary: until January 1, 2025.

Does this mean some concessions for the owners of single-family residential buildings.

– Undoubtedly. Objects built or reconstructed on citizens' land plots allocated before September 1, 2022, can be commissioned by decision of the district executive committee without design and permit documentation for their construction. These include single-family residential buildings and non-residential capital buildings of the fifth complexity class: garages, baths, sheds. This will not be considered unauthorized construction and does not entail administrative responsibility. Along with the application, a statement of technical characteristics from the BTI and a certificate for the land plot should be submitted.

Any building can be legalized.

– It will be assessed by the acceptance committee for compliance with the fifth complexity class, building codes, and urban planning documentation. That is, the regulated distances from the land plot boundaries to the object and the requirements for their placement must be observed: three meters for a house and one meter for an outbuilding. If they are not met, notarized consent from the neighbor must be obtained. If an agreement cannot be reached, there are two options: do not register the structure or demolish it.

Have any changes affected new construction.

– According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus dated June 13, 2022, No. 202, from December 15, 2022, the procedure for construction and reconstruction of construction objects has been simplified. In rural settlements, it is sufficient to have documents for the land plot. One-family residential buildings and outbuildings can be placed on the plot without obtaining permits, developing a project, coordinating with the district executive committee, and subsequent commissioning. The only condition is that the distance from the boundaries of the adjacent plot to the residential building must be at least three meters, and to non-residential capital buildings – from two meters. At the same time, the citizen decides which path to take – to obtain documentation, as it was before, or to do without it. When constructing a residential building or utility structures in the city, permits or a developer's passport are required. The Decree does not apply to residential buildings whose construction was started based on previously issued permits, and those that will be built under loan conditions.

What are the deadlines for completing construction and what to do if the object is not commissioned on time.

– According to the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus of February 7, 2006, No. 87, the construction period for a house or a dacha on an allocated land plot is three years. To be considered completed, it is sufficient to erect the foundation, walls, and roof. If you do not manage to complete it before the expiry of the period, which starts from the moment of land plot registration, there is an opportunity to extend the construction deadlines for two years. If even these are not enough, it is advisable to mothball the construction for a period of up to three years. Each case is individual. If you have questions, I will answer them at number 5 19 80.