Have rent arrears? Work them off!

As Zbigniew Celoch, deputy director of ZGM, reports, 20 indebted tenants have so far submitted applications proposing to work off their debt. Sixteen of them were approved, and the applicants may start working this month. They will perform simple tasks such as replacing sand in sandpits, cleaning courtyards, cellars and attics, loading bulky waste, and carrying out minor repairs. One of them will deliver official letters, including information for debtors about the possibility of working off their financial obligations.

ZGM is launching an information campaign. Every tenant of an indebted premises—there are more than two thousand of them—will receive information about the rules for working off arrears.

For each hour of work, the debt will be reduced by PLN 8, as this is the hourly rate that has been set. The money will not be paid directly to the debtor but will be used to repay the debt. It is worth noting that the debtor’s family members (the tenant’s relatives) or other people willing to help may also work off the debt. First, the debtor will work off the principal amount owed, followed by interest, and finally court and enforcement costs.

The basic condition for joining the program is paying the rent on an ongoing basis.

Applications can be collected and submitted at the headquarters of the Municipal Housing Management at Zielona Street, at the Municipal Housing Management Branches, or downloaded from the website zgm.legnica.pl (in the information section).

Working off arrears is one of several options the administrator offers debtors. They may arrange to pay the amount owed in installments, have the debt cancelled in exceptional circumstances, or defer payment. The debt owed on municipal housing is enormous. Unpaid rent arrears amount to more than PLN 43 million. In addition, there is more than PLN 16 million in debt documented as uncollectible.

Of the 6,000 premises, approximately 2,000 have rent arrears outstanding for more than three months. The debts of the record holders amount to as much as PLN 100,000.

UM Legnica/ii