Belarusian homebuyer shocked by inherited utility bills after purchase

Andrei’s dream home turned into a financial surprise when registration tied him to the seller’s unpaid bills. Could this happen to other buyers?

, and Administrator

2026 January 19 . 5:33 AM

1 min read

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Belarusian homebuyer shocked by inherited utility bills after purchase

A man in Gomel, Belarus, has faced unexpected costs after buying a flat. Andrei recently purchased an apartment, only to discover he must now cover the full utility bills. The issue stems from the previous owner’s unemployment status and how payments were calculated.

Andrei completed the transfer of the property into his name. From that moment, he became responsible for all housing and utility charges. The Gomel Billing and Information Center confirmed this rule: new owners inherit payment obligations once their rights are officially registered.

The previous owner had been unemployed. As a result, their utility bills were calculated at the full rate, without any discounts. Andrei now faces these same charges, despite no prior warning about the situation. No other cases have been reported in Gomel where a buyer encountered a similar issue after purchasing from an unemployed seller. Authorities have not addressed whether such scenarios could become more common in the future.

The transfer left Andrei liable for the full cost of utilities. The billing centre’s policy ties responsibility directly to property registration. Buyers in similar situations may need to check the previous owner’s employment status before finalising purchases.