Housing certificate for improving living conditions, purchasing an apartment in 2021: who is issued and how to use it

What is a housing certificate?

A state certificate is a document through which you can partially or fully pay for the purchase of housing. The amount for it is calculated taking into account the standard cost of sq.m., and in each region it is approved by the local administration.

Cash certificates are not issued. They are credited to a bank account, and the transaction is controlled by the bank in any case, even if the housing is purchased with its own funds and not with a mortgage.

The certificate for the purchase of real estate is personalized and contains the following information:

Full name, passport details of the owner.
Date of issue, series and number of the certificate (certificate).
An amount subsidized by the state.
Validity.
Name of the institution that issued the certificate.

Note! The certificate is not inherited; it is issued to a specific person. But real estate acquired with its help can be sold, donated, exchanged, or made any other transaction with it.

What is GHS

First, let's figure out what document we are talking about. GZHS (state housing certificate) is a bond confirming the owner’s right to a subsidy for the purchase of residential premises.

The document is issued to military personnel, persons who worked in hazardous and hazardous industries, young families, disabled people, orphans and other socially vulnerable categories of citizens.

The bond price is indexed every year. You cannot withdraw money or exchange GHS. All funds will definitely be used to purchase housing.

However, many owners of public housing cooperatives wanted to manage the funds and not buy an apartment or house.

Who is eligible for a housing subsidy certificate?

The list of persons who are entitled to a certificate is specified in clause 5 of the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 153. These include:

Department of Internal Affairs employees and military personnel subject to dismissal.
Employees of the State Border Service, Department of Internal Affairs, Federal Penitentiary Service, if their term of service exceeds 10 years, and they are dismissed for health reasons, due to staff reduction, or reaching the service age limit.
Former military personnel with at least 10 years of service, if they were dismissed due to age, medical reasons or staff reduction.
Former employees of the Department of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation, the Federal Penitentiary Service, who have worked for at least 10 years and are registered as needing housing under a social tenancy agreement.
Dismissed from the tax police and recognized as needy.
Family members of military personnel, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, Department of Internal Affairs (except for NIS participants) who died while serving.
Employees of the Russian Guard retiring due to age, medical conditions or staff reduction if their service period exceeds 10 years.
Family members of deceased employees of the Russian Guard.
Persons moving from closed military camps.
Liquidators of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in need of improved living conditions.
Forced migrants.
Those moving from the Far North and entitled to social housing payments in connection with the move.
Recipients of social housing benefits moving from ZATO.
Those moving from the territory of the Baikonur complex.

Note! All of the above categories of citizens must be recognized as in need of improved housing conditions. If a person already has an apartment that meets all the requirements, a certificate will not be issued.

Legal advice: it’s also not worth deliberately worsening your living conditions in order to obtain a certificate. Clause 7.1 of Government Resolution No. 153 states that intentional deterioration means the exchange of one apartment for another of a smaller area, alienation of living space, or failure to comply with the terms of the housing use agreement, resulting in eviction through the court.

How to obtain consent to purchase an apartment from your spouse?

Who is eligible and how to receive a subsidy for the purchase of housing?

FAQ

How quickly will the seller receive money for the home after registering the transaction?

The transaction is verified within 10 days after the documents on it are submitted. If everything is in order, the amount of the certificate's face value is immediately transferred to the seller. The transfer is completed within 3 working days.

What happens if the apartment costs less than the face value of the military certificate?

In this case, the seller will be transferred an amount equal to the price of the property under the purchase and sale agreement. The rest of the money will remain with the state; it is impossible to withdraw it or use it in any other way.

In which regions are increasing coefficients provided?

The coefficient of 1.1 is used in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Altai, Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Novosibirsk, Kemerovo and some other regions. 1.15 - in Buryatia, Tuva, Khakassia, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Sverdlovsk Region, etc. 1.2 - Yakutia, Chukotka, Jewish Autonomous Okrug, Khabarovsk Territory, Moscow and its region, St. Petersburg, etc. Full list - Article 14 of the Resolution Government of the Russian Federation No. 153.

What happens if you don’t have time to use the certificate?

It will be cancelled, and you will have to re-submit a report to receive it.

Can the family of a deceased military member obtain a certificate?

Maybe if the serviceman was registered as needing housing.

Sources:

ConsultantPlus: Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 21, 2006 N 153.
Ministry of Defense: Order of the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation dated September 30, 2010 No. 1280 “On the provision of residential premises to military personnel of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation under a social tenancy agreement and official residential premises.”

about the author

Irina Rusanova - higher education at the International East European University in the direction of "Banking". Graduated with honors from the Russian Economic Institute named after G.V. Plekhanov with a major in Finance and Credit. Ten years of experience in leading Russian banks: Alfa-Bank, Renaissance Credit, Home Credit Bank, Delta Credit, ATB, Svyaznoy (closed). He is an analyst and expert of the Brobank service on banking and financial stability. [email protected]

Is this article useful? Not really

Help us find out how much this article helped you. If something is missing or the information is not accurate, please report it below in the comments or write to us by email

How much is a housing certificate issued for?

The amount depends on the estimated cost per square meter in the region, and the number of family members of the applicant eligible for the certificate.

The standard for the total area of housing is set by regional authorities, but usually it looks like this:

33 sq.m. for one person.
42 sq.m. for a family of two.
18 sq.m. for everyone, if there are three or more people in the family.

Example: The owner of the certificate lives in an official marriage and has one child. Estimated cost sq.m. in his region is 45,000 rubles. He requires housing with an area of at least 54 sq.m.

45,000 x 54 = 2,430,000 rubles. – he will be given a certificate for this amount.

Note: if there is not enough money on the certificate to purchase an apartment, payment with your own funds or a mortgage or maternity capital is allowed.

Comments: 2

Your comment (question) If you have questions about this article, you can tell us. Our team consists of only experienced experts and specialists with specialized education. We will try to help you in this topic:

Author of the article Irina Rusanova

Consultant, author Popovich Anna

Financial author Olga Pikhotskaya

Tatiana
12/23/2021 at 19:15 Hello! I have a question, what are the requirements for purchased housing under the certificate? I am selling a 1/2 share in the right to a residential building with a land plot of 357 sq.m. The land is allocated in kind, but the house has not yet been divided on paper, but in fact there has always been a separate entrance and communications. The bank didn’t approve the mortgage, but what about the certificate?
Reply ↓ Anna Popovich
12/24/2021 at 01:42
Dear Tatyana, a clear delineation of the share of residential premises is necessary.
Reply ↓

Advantages and disadvantages of a housing certificate

Let's look at the pros and cons of a housing certificate:
Advantages and disadvantages

Gratuitous. Money is allocated from the regional budget; nothing is required from the certificate holder in return

Relatively simple conditions for obtaining

The certificate can be used at the discretion of the owner: buy an apartment in a new building or a resale building, purchase a house

Long waits in line: for example, it may consist of 200 people, but only five will be issued certificates in a year

Most often, the amount for the State Housing Development Agreement is not enough to fully pay for the property, and you have to add your own money

Main purpose

A housing certificate gives its owner the right to purchase finished living space. Often this means buying apartments on the secondary market. Housing under construction can only be purchased if the property has a high degree of readiness or has already been put into operation.

The purpose of the SHA is to provide free square meters to citizens who are recognized as needy and do not have the opportunity to independently purchase living space. Please note that only those citizens who do not have their own housing can receive government assistance.

The use of a certificate involves variations. But before considering them, you should understand what actions cannot be performed with it:

It will not be possible to buy an apartment larger or smaller than what is specified in the State Housing Development Plan. If the paper states that the money was issued for the purchase of a 1-room apartment of 36 m2, then it will not be possible to buy a 2-room apartment.
The seller must have the status of a legal or natural person and have registered ownership rights to the apartment.
Use a document beyond the stated period. If the validity period of the GHS has expired, you will not be able to use it.

All the existing restrictions result in a rather complicated search and purchase procedure, so many sellers simply do not want to contact the owners of such securities.

How to get a housing certificate: step-by-step instructions

To obtain a GHS certificate, you need to contact a military unit or local administration with an application:

An application and other documents are submitted.
The authorized body reviews the documents and puts the participant in line.
When the turn comes, a certificate is issued. It must be used to purchase real estate within the specified time frame, otherwise it will be canceled and you will have to start all over again.

Note! The certificate must be given to the bank within three months from the date of issue indicated on it. You need to buy a home and submit documents to the bank within 7 months.

Contents and sample application

The application or report is filled out according to the approved form. It states:

The name of the institution to which it is submitted.
Full name, date of birth, passport details of the applicant.
Request for inclusion in the state program.
Chosen place of residence.
The date from which the applicant is registered as needy.
Information about family members.
Description of submitted documents.
FULL NAME. and signatures of adult family members of the applicant.

Sample application

Documentation

The list of documents for the SHA certificate depends on which category of citizens participating in the program the applicant belongs to.

You will definitely need:

statement (report);
passport;
documents confirming relationship with family members;
obligation to terminate the social tenancy agreement;
certificates of absence of debts for housing provided under social rent;
certificate of total length of service indicating the grounds for dismissal.

Note: the authority issuing the certificate will check with Rosreestr whether the applicant owns other real estate.

Deadlines

The timing of obtaining a certificate depends on the schedule planned by the Government annually. On average, 5-10 certificates are provided for each subject of the Russian Federation per year, but in some regions they may issue one at a time. Most likely, you will have to wait a long time.

How does a military mortgage work?

To take advantage of a preferential mortgage, a military man must Federal Law dated August 20, 2004 N 117-FZ “On the savings and mortgage system of housing for military personnel.” serve under a contract and be a participant in the savings and mortgage system program. The project is supervised by Rosvoenipoteka, a special unit of the Ministry of Defense. When an officer registers in the system, a personal account is opened for him. The state pays contributions there from the budget, and the military can use them.

Who can become a participant in the savings and mortgage system

To do this, you need to fall into one of the categories specified in the law:

officers who graduated from a military school or entered service under a contract after January 1, 2005;
warrant officers and midshipmen who served under a contract for three years;
military personnel who went into reserve and signed a new contract.

These categories of military personnel are connected to the savings and mortgage system automatically. Other military personnel can join the program voluntarily: to do this, you need to submit a report to the unit commander about inclusion in the Register.

You can take advantage of this opportunity:

sergeants, foremen, soldiers and sailors who have entered into a second contract for military service;
military personnel who entered into their first contract for military service before January 1, 2005.

In addition, military mortgages can be obtained by military personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Ministry of Emergency Situations: officers of the riot police, the National Guard, SOBR, and private security.

Buying an apartment using a housing certificate: step-by-step instructions

The certificate must be submitted to the bank to open a blocked personal account within three months. The further procedure looks like this:

The owner of the GHS certificate finds an apartment and enters into a purchase and sale agreement (hereinafter referred to as the PSA) with the seller.
The transfer of ownership is registered in Rosreestr. Within three days, the bank verifies the documents and sends an application to transfer money from the individual account.
The money arrives to the seller within 5-7 days.

Note! Under the contract, the seller may require a deposit. It is transferred before submitting documents for registration. Usually the amount does not exceed 50,000-100,000 rubles.

Contents and sample agreement

The DCP must contain all information about the transaction:

Full name, dates of birth, passport details of the parties, registration addresses.
Address, area, number of rooms, cadastral number of the property.
Cost of housing.
Amount of fee for the certificate and for cash or mortgage.
Certificate details: series, number, date of issue, who issued it.
Payment order.
Responsibility of the parties.
Guarantees, rights and obligations of parties to the transaction.
Amount of the deposit (if transferred).
Account details for depositing money.
Signatures of the buyer and seller.

Sample contract

Documentation

For the transaction, the buyer must present only a passport to the seller. The bank will need the certificate along with it.

The seller provides the buyer with an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate, a document confirming the basis for the emergence of ownership rights, a registration certificate, a certificate of absence of debts for housing and communal services and an extract from the house register.

Expenses

The buyer pays a state fee for registering property rights - 2,000 rubles. Other expenses may arise if notarization of the contract is required: the fee will be 0.5% of the transaction price, maximum 20,000 rubles. Costs can be distributed between the parties by agreement.

If the buyer turns to a lawyer for transaction support, it will cost from 10,000 to 100,000 rubles. depending on the complexity of the procedure and the number of services provided.

What documents are needed?

The categories that can count on participation in the federal program are quite diverse and the list of documents that will need to be provided differs. However, there is a list that needs to be prepared for all categories and additional documents will be attached to it:

Application for participation in the federal subsidy program.
Certificate confirming the need to improve living conditions.
Passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation (or another document that will verify the identity of the applicant).
If the applicant is a military personnel, it is necessary to provide a document confirming the vacancy of housing that was allocated at the last place of service . Until such a document is provided, you cannot count on receiving a bond.
An extract from the house register at the previous place of registration (which will confirm the need to improve existing living conditions).
A copy of the financial personal account at the place of residence where the applicant was previously registered.
Documents that will confirm the applicant’s relationship with each specific person whom (or whom) he indicated as members of his family.

If you want to know about the state program of affordable housing for young families, we advise you to read the article.

Lawyer's answers to private questions

Are there housing certificates for teachers and doctors?

Yes, in different regions there are programs through which young professionals, doctors, and teachers can obtain certificates. Details need to be clarified with the local administration. For example, now in Russia there is a “Zemsky Doctor” program, under which you can receive up to 2,000,000 rubles. for the purchase of housing.

Is it possible to apply for a tax deduction if an apartment was purchased using a state housing certificate?

No, a property tax deduction is only due if you spent your own money on the purchase or took out a mortgage.

I live in a communal two-room apartment with my son. We were given housing certificates for 550,000 rubles. Can they be used to buy a second room?

Yes, if the owner of the second room agrees. In this case, both owners of certificates act as buyers, and ownership is registered in shares.

Is it necessary to allocate shares to other family members when purchasing real estate using a housing certificate?

Yes, definitely, because... The certificate amount is calculated based on the number of required sq.m. and the number of family members of the owner.

Is it possible to sell an apartment received under a housing certificate immediately after purchase? How will the tax be paid?

Personal income tax will be calculated on the full cost of housing. If you spent your own money, the base can be reduced by this amount by submitting supporting documents to the Federal Tax Service. Personal income tax of 13% may not be paid if more than 5 years have passed since the registration of property rights.

How much money does the state give?

After inclusion in the savings-mortgage system, the state will annually accrue a fixed contribution to the military’s personal account: in 2021 it amounts to Annual Contributions. 280 thousand rubles. The payment is indexed so that in 2021 the amount will increase in accordance with the inflation rate for 2021.

For the first three years, the money is accumulated in the military account and cannot be used. During this time, the amount of deductions will reach approximately 850 thousand rubles - enough for the down payment on the mortgage.

Maximum loan amount Mortgage calculator for calculating the maximum amount for programs with annuity payment under the program - 2 million 590 thousand rubles. If the apartment is more expensive, the military man will have to pay extra: either add his own funds to the down payment, or pay the mortgage himself after retirement.

When purchasing a home, you can use maternity capital and receive a 13% tax deduction, but only for the amount that the serviceman invested himself. The maximum deduction amount is 260 thousand rubles. You can get them if you invest 2 million of your own money in the purchase of real estate.

It is not necessary to use the money three years after opening the account: while the military man is serving, deductions will accumulate.

How to find out the queue?

The participant has the right to receive timely information about the status and number upon issuance of the certificate. You can obtain information at the location of the administrative authority. Information is provided upon first request in a short time.

To obtain information, a written application must be drawn up in two copies, each having equal legal force. The employee accepting the application must put a date and signature on the participant’s copy. One copy is reviewed by the housing department, the other remains in the hands of the participant.

The request can be delivered either personally or by registered letter with acknowledgment of delivery. In this case, the response will be received in writing within 30 calendar days from the date of receipt of the request.

Another type of request submission is the state online system, which was created to simplify the procedure.

Implementation procedure

Every year in the Russian Federation, about 10,000 GZS are issued and sold.

These figures show that, in general, the work in this direction is being carried out quite seriously and it is quite possible to receive government assistance. But it should be borne in mind that on the way to the treasured square meters, those in need will face many difficulties. The most important obstacle will be the cost of the issued housing certificate. Unfortunately, the housing prices that are used to calculate government assistance are absolutely not true. If real estate is purchased in small towns, then there is still some chance of meeting the amount. But when buying a home in Moscow, St. Petersburg or other large cities, you cannot do without adding your own or borrowed funds. This factor is worth considering even before applying for participation in the program.

The received certificate must be implemented within an extremely short time frame. You only have 9 months to buy a home. This is not so much considering the duration of the entire procedure. The owner of the State Housing Property Agreement will have to go through the following path:

Open a bank account.
Find a suitable property.
Conclude a purchase and sale agreement with the seller.
Pay for purchased housing.
Register ownership of the premises.
Report on the intended use of funds.

Each stage of the housing certificate implementation procedure has its own nuances.

Opening a bank account

The state housing certificate cannot be presented to the seller as payment for the selected property. The procedure for converting GHS into real money is complex and multi-stage. The presence of such complications allows the state to track where the money is going and prevents it from being wasted in inappropriate ways.

GHS will become money in the following case:

The owner of the certificate will open a bank account.
The amount specified in the form will be credited to this account.
After choosing a seller, the transaction is verified by bank employees.
If the purchase and sale is transparent, money is transferred to the seller’s account.

The essence of the procedure is that the certificate holder cannot cash out the funds and spend them in a different direction.

You can open an account only in a financial institution that is authorized by the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.

Most often, recipients of state aid turn to Sberbank to carry out this operation. The bank employee is presented with a housing certificate, on the basis of which he opens a special blocked account. Money is credited to it, but it cannot be withdrawn either partially or completely without the approval of a government agency. It will not be possible to transfer money from account to account if there is no such command from above.

Search for accommodation

Having transferred the money to your personal bank account, you need to proceed to the next stage of the procedure - choosing housing. You can do this yourself, or by contacting the services of a realtor. The implementation period for a civil construction project is quite short, less than a year, so it is often quite difficult for the owner to cope with it on his own.

When choosing housing, it is important to consider the following criteria:

Real estate must comply with the standards prescribed in the Civil Housing Construction Code. You should select the number of rooms as prescribed and take into account the permitted square footage of housing.
The purchased living space must comply with sanitary standards and have serviceable utilities.

The most significant criterion remains the amount of the allocated subsidy. It is this that limits the search and slows down the process. If you have your own savings in the amount of the difference between the actual cost of the property and the amount of the certificate, it is not difficult to buy an apartment. But unfortunately, not everyone has excess material resources, so the procedure can cause serious difficulties.

When hiring a realtor, be prepared for the fact that all expenses for his services will fall on your shoulders; it will not be possible to reimburse his work from the State Housing Construction Fund.

Conclusion of an agreement

Having found a seller, you can proceed directly to the purchase and sale procedure, which is expressed in concluding an agreement. This document is drawn up according to generally accepted standards and does not require specialized forms. However, when drawing it up, it is extremely important to indicate all the significant terms of the transaction and not miss a single important aspect.

The purchase and sale agreement can be drawn up independently, but it is better to seek help from professionals. It must indicate:

Details of the seller and buyer.
Address and main characteristics of the real estate that is the subject of the transaction.
Cost of living space. If it exceeds the amount of the certificate, then it is necessary to additionally specify which part is transferred by bank transfer, and which part is paid by the buyer independently.
Conditions for transferring money.
Payment deadline; it will not be possible to provide an exact date, but it is worth indicating the maximum payment period so as not to find yourself in a situation of unfulfilled promises.
Bank account numbers of both the seller and the buyer for transferring funds from one to the other.
Other essential conditions.

The purchase and sale agreement itself is not certified by a notary, but the act of acceptance and transfer of the object must be certified at a notary's office. The deed is signed after the seller has received the full price of the home. The agreement is registered with Rosreestr or MFC.

Payment

Having registered the purchase and sale agreement, the owner of the certificate applies to the bank, where he has a personal account with funds from the state housing cooperative. He submits documents and writes an application to transfer funds to the seller.

The banking organization checks the submitted papers within 30-50 calendar days. All submitted forms are carefully examined for authenticity.

A lengthy verification procedure can scare away the seller, which is why many property owners do not want to get involved in such long-term transactions. But this process also has its advantages - it is a kind of insurance against fraud, the money will go to the seller in any case.

After transferring funds to the seller’s account, a transfer and acceptance certificate is drawn up and signed.

Mortgage restructuring with government help

The essence of the support : the state repays part of the borrower’s loan so that he can change the terms of the mortgage, for example, choose a different currency, reduce the payment amount, increase the loan term or receive a “credit holiday”.

Who can receive:

parents of children under 18 years of age;
parents of children aged 18 to 24 who are full-time students at universities;
disabled people and parents of children with disabilities;
young families;
combat veterans.

In this case, you need to prove that you cannot pay the mortgage under current conditions, for example:

after paying the mortgage payment, each family member remains less than two subsistence minimums in the region;
the monthly payment from the date of receiving the mortgage has increased by more than 30%.

There are also requirements for mortgage housing. The property must be your only home and be located in Russia. A one-room apartment should be less than 45 square meters. m, two-room - less than 65 sq. m, and a three-room apartment is less than 85 sq. m. m.

Conditions of receipt

Being included in the list of the listed categories of persons is not enough to receive government assistance for the purchase of housing. Citizens who fit one of the following categories can become participants in the program:

The property does not contain any living space intended for permanent residence.
A person lives permanently in a dormitory, communal apartment or office space, without having personal square meters.
A citizen rents premises on a commercial lease basis, without having his own living space.

All information about need is checked by a commission, and if it is revealed that the applicant himself or his relatives have property, the application will be rejected. Close relatives are considered to be the spouse, children, and parents.

The procedure for provision is strictly regulated by accepted living space standards. Today they are represented by the following parameters:

33 m2 is paid per person.
For two citizens 42 m2 is allocated.
If a family consists of more than two persons, then an additional 18 m2 is given for each subsequent member.

There are no more restrictive conditions for obtaining GZS.

Preferential mortgage programs

The state finances several preferential mortgage programs for different categories of borrowers. In this article we will talk about the three most popular programs that operate in 2021-2022.

Mortgage at 7%

Available to : any citizens of the Russian Federation who want to buy an apartment in a new building. Rate : up to 7% per annum for the entire loan term. It may be increased if the borrower does not insure life, health and real estate.

Validity : until July 1, 2022. In which regions it is valid : throughout the country. Maximum loan amount : 3 million rubles. Can it be used for refinancing : no. Which banks issue : all large and most small banks, for example, Sberbank, VTB, Alfa Bank and Sovcombank.

Rural mortgage

Available to : any citizens of the Russian Federation who want to buy real estate in rural areas. Rate : from 0.1 to 3% per annum Validity period : until 2025. In which regions is it valid : throughout the country, except for the cities and municipalities of St. Petersburg, Moscow and the Moscow region. But only in rural areas, for example, in a workers’ village, urban settlement or small town, up to 30 thousand people. Maximum loan amount : 3 million rubles. For the Far East, Leningrad Region and Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the amount is higher - 5 million rubles. Can it be used for refinancing : no. Features : Can only be obtained once in a lifetime. Which banks issue : nine banks participate in the program, for example, Rosselkhozbank, Sberbank, CB Center-Invest and Ak Bars Bank.