Housing expert Dmitry Bondar confirmed that residential managing companies are responsible for clearing fallen leaves from apartment building courtyards.
Speaking to news outlet NEWS.ru, Bondar stated that while managing companies must maintain residential yards, city administration authorities remain responsible for cleaning public municipal streets.
All leaf clearance activities must strictly comply with local municipal landscaping rules and federal sanitary standards. Bondar emphasized that burning fallen leaves in courtyards or along public roadways is completely prohibited. Maintenance staff are instead required to gather fallen foliage into bags and transport the collected waste away from residential areas.
Rules for leaf collection and disposal
Bondar works as a public figure and specialist in housing and public utilities, the sector in Russia commonly known as ZhKH. In residential housing management, a managing company is a commercial entity contracted by apartment owners to maintain multi-family building complexes. Their statutory obligations cover common indoor infrastructure as well as the immediate outdoor property grounds surrounding residential blocks.
Seasonal yard maintenance forms a core part of utility upkeep during autumn, when uncleaned foliage can obstruct storm drains, create slippery hazards on footpaths, and decay on communal grounds. In addition to municipal maintenance guidelines, health professionals have highlighted risks associated with autumn foliage. Doctor Karina Kinyasheva previously warned that participating in photo sessions with fallen leaves poses health hazards for individuals with allergies.
Filing complaints through state platforms
When a managing company or a city administration office fails to fulfill its leaf removal duties, residents have formal channels to report the neglect. Bondar noted that affected citizens can submit official complaints directly through the Gosuslugi state portal and specialized municipal service applications.
Gosuslugi functions as Russia's centralized public services portal, allowing citizens to file administrative grievances and request utility interventions online. Municipal digital applications similarly enable residents to log local maintenance issues, routing reports directly to regional housing supervision authorities to ensure non-compliant management companies address neglected courtyards promptly.
