What does the living area of ​​the apartment include? To be honest, this question interests many. Indeed, depending on this indicator, the value of the property will change. The higher it is, the more the apartment costs. Therefore, you have to thoroughly understand this topic. What you should pay attention to? How to calculate the area of ​​an apartment and its living part? All this is not so difficult to understand. It is enough to know modern legislation.

Three components

Before you find out what the living space of an apartment includes, you need to understand what types of space are available in the home. After all, this is extremely important. Especially if you are the buyer of a particular apartment. On this moment can be distinguished:

  • total area;
  • residential;
  • useful.

Remembering these points is not so difficult. According to modern legislation, specific premises are classified as a particular area. But which ones exactly? And what does each point mean?

Definitions

What does the living area of ​​the apartment include? The law, or rather, Housing Code RF, reveals in detail the answer to this question. First, it’s worth understanding what each type of space in a home means.

There is such a thing as total area. This is nothing more than the sum of the space of all residential and non-residential premises. This does not include balconies and loggias. We can say that this is the entire apartment.

Useful - an indicator reflecting the sum of the areas of residential and non-residential premises, but including utility rooms. This is exactly the definition that applies in Russia. In other countries, only the space used is called useful.

To understand what the living area of ​​an apartment includes, you need to understand the definition of this term. We can say that this is the amount of space in premises suitable for habitation.

Living space

Many people are interested in exactly what components are included in the concept of living space in an apartment. The question is controversial. Especially if we consider not a studio apartment, but an ordinary home. It can have a huge variety of rooms.

For example, does the living area of ​​an apartment include a kitchen? No. After all, just by the definition of the term it is clear - residential is an area suitable for living. And the kitchen is not included here. Even if it is completely refurbished so that you can sleep here.

Thus, the living area is the total sum of all living rooms. This includes: bedrooms, children's rooms, living rooms, guest rooms and so on. But the hallway bathroom and kitchen cannot be classified as residential. The balcony does not apply here either. Calculating this component is easy and simple. First, calculate the space in each room, then add everything up. Everything is easy and simple!

General

Does the living area of ​​the apartment include a kitchen? No, we already found that out. But then what can this room be classified as? It is worth remembering such an item as the total area of ​​the apartment. She also plays a certain role. The definition of this term has already been given. But what does this concept mean?

We found out what the total living area of ​​the apartment includes. SNIP (1-71 “Residential buildings” dated January 31, 2003) indicates that the common space (not residential) includes, as already mentioned, all residential and non-residential premises. There can be many items, it all depends on your apartment.

Based on this law, the following components of the common space can be distinguished:

  • bedrooms;
  • living rooms;
  • kitchens;
  • hallways;
  • bathroom;
  • toilet (with separate bathroom);
  • wardrobe.

In general, this includes all premises, with the exception of balconies, loggias, and terraces. These are the rules that apply in Russia. Typically, the total area is the sum of all rooms in an apartment. The calculation is simple - add up all the space in all “rooms”.

Odds

How to calculate the area of ​​a particular apartment? It's actually not that difficult. It is enough to know a few rules. They are prescribed in SNIPs. Which ones? Speaking about calculations carried out in apartments, it is worth taking into account SNIP 2.08.02-89. It indicates that living space will be calculated with certain coefficients for certain premises. Which ones?

For loggias, this indicator is set to 0.5, balconies and terraces - 0.3, and verandas and storage rooms are counted with a coefficient of 1.

In general, calculating the area of ​​a particular housing is not so difficult. Remember all the areas of primitive geometric shapes. We need to build on them. For example, for square room you will have to use the formula for calculating the area of ​​a square. Nothing difficult. Accordingly, rectangular rooms are calculated in a similar way. Simple mathematical knowledge is enough to understand the problem.

Some people think about how to properly measure walls. This is a valid question. After all, if you measure the walls incorrectly, you will end up with the wrong area. Usually it increases. In real estate transactions, such errors are beneficial to the seller. But for buyers - no.

Please note that all measurements to calculate the area of ​​the apartment should be made on the inside of the baseboard. This is the rule that will help prevent errors in calculations. Nothing difficult or special!

Additional inclusions

What else should you pay attention to? On what the living area of ​​the apartment includes! The joint ventures indicate that the common apartment space should include not only the “dimension” of the premises. Sometimes niches and partitions with walls are also included here. Under what conditions? If this:

  • niche higher than 2 meters;
  • arch more than 200 centimeters;
  • internal staircase (the space under it is taken into account);
  • heating stoves;
  • other protruding structures.

Basically, that's all. Now the main points that are important for both real estate buyers and sellers are clear. In order not to suffer for a long time with calculating areas, you can call special measurers - they will quickly help you correctly calculate both the total space in the housing and the living space. Usually there are no difficulties with this.

Another option is to take a BTI extract for a particular apartment. It will contain a detailed plan with all areas and data regarding the “dimension” of the property. Don't forget to request a similar document from the seller when dealing with housing.

Please tell me exactly what area of ​​the apartment - total or residential - is taken to determine the heating fee? Besides, why do we need three (I heard that there is also a usable area) different meters for the area of ​​the same apartment? Alexander, Yaroslavl.

The question is answered by a consultant - lawyer of the Department of Housing, Communal Services and Infrastructure of the Yaroslavl Region Galina Belova: - Dear Alexander, the question you asked is relevant and, probably, interests everyone who pays public utilities. The reason for this lies in the presence in regulations and legal literature of the concepts “total area of ​​residential premises” and “living area”, which are not equivalent in content, applied to residential premises. First of all, we note that Article 16 of the Housing Code Russian Federation(hereinafter referred to as the RF Housing Code) an apartment is classified as residential premises, which also include a residential building, part of a residential building, part of an apartment and a room.

These concepts have several meanings depending on the purposes for which they are used. Let's look at them.

The basic concept of “total area of ​​residential premises” is contained in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation. It is used in relations regulated by the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, in particular, related to the provision of residential premises under a social tenancy agreement - to determine the accounting standard for the area of ​​residential premises, the amount of payment for the use of residential premises, fees for the maintenance and repair of residential premises, etc. According to Part 5 of Article 15 of the RF Housing Code, “the total area of ​​a residential premises consists of the sum of the areas of all parts of such premises, including the area of ​​auxiliary premises intended to satisfy citizens’ household and other needs related to their residence in residential premises, with the exception of balconies, loggias, verandas and terraces." In the same meaning, but in more detail, the concept under consideration is given in the Resolution of the State Statistics Committee of the Russian Federation dated April 8, 2003 No. 42 “On approval of statistical tools for conducting the main stage of the National Survey of Household Welfare and Participation in Social Programs (NOBUS)” (hereinafter referred to as the Resolution ). The resolution established that the total (useful) area of ​​a dwelling is defined as the sum of the areas of all living rooms and utility rooms (kitchens, corridors, bathrooms, pantries, built-in wardrobes, etc.) of apartments and houses, including the area of ​​heated and habitable areas throughout the year, premises attached to the house (terraces, verandas, etc.). The total (usable) area does not include the area stairwells, vestibules, lobbies, open terraces, balconies, etc. Living space, according to the Resolution, is the area of ​​living rooms in residential premises intended and used for living (excluding the area of ​​built-in wardrobes).

It is clear from this that the concept of “living area” is narrower in content than the concept of “total area of ​​living space”, since it includes the area of ​​living rooms - bedrooms, living rooms, which includes integral part to the total area of ​​the living space. And the concept of “usable area” of a residential premises is used for the purposes of the Resolution (household welfare survey) in a meaning equivalent to the concept of “total area of ​​​​living premises”.

In a slightly different meaning, the concept of “total area of ​​​​residential premises” is used for the purposes of construction, accounting and technical inventory of the housing stock. Thus, on the basis of the Instructions on the accounting of housing stock in the Russian Federation, approved by order of the Ministry of Land Construction of Russia dated August 4, 1998 No. 37 (hereinafter referred to as the Instructions), the total area of ​​an apartment is determined as the sum of the areas of its premises, built-in closets, as well as the areas of loggias, balconies, verandas, terraces and cold storage rooms, calculated with reduction factors.

Living area according to the Instructions is defined as the sum of the areas of living rooms. In a number of regulatory legal acts, residential premises are referred to as living space (Federal Law of November 24, 1995 No. 181-FZ “On the social protection of disabled people in the Russian Federation”, etc.)

Now that we have understood the content of the concepts under consideration, it remains to determine which of the areas of the living space is used when determining the size of the heating fee.

The procedure for calculating and paying fees for utility services (established by the Rules for the provision of utility services to citizens, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated May 23, 2006 No. 307) provides for determining the amount of payment for heating taking into account the total area of ​​the residential premises. The methodology for planning, accounting and calculating the cost of housing and communal services, approved by Decree of the State Construction Committee of the Russian Federation dated February 23, 1999 No. 9, explains that “to determine the heating fee per 1 square meter of housing, the area of ​​the apartment, individual house is defined as the total area of ​​living rooms and utility rooms excluding loggias, balconies, verandas, terraces and cold storerooms, vestibules.”

Thus, to determine the size of the heating fee, the total, and not the residential, area of ​​the apartment is used in the value specified in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation and the Resolution, i.e. the area of ​​heated residential and utility rooms is taken into account, but the area of ​​unheated balconies, cold storage rooms, etc. is not taken into account.

The average Russian hardly knows what square meters refer to the total area of ​​the apartment, and which ones - to the living area. Where, for example, are the bathroom and kitchen included? And what about balconies, loggias and stairs in two-level apartment? At first glance, these legal subtleties do not seem very necessary in Everyday life. However, many items of utility costs and the market value of housing directly depend on the numbers indicated in the documents for the apartment. First, let's try to formulate how current legislation determines the total and living area of ​​an apartment.

The average Russian hardly knows which square meters are the total area of ​​the apartment and which are the living area. Where, for example, are the bathroom and kitchen included? And what about balconies, loggias and stairs in a two-level apartment? At first glance, these legal subtleties do not seem very necessary in everyday life. However, many items of utility costs and expenses directly depend on the numbers indicated in the documents for the apartment.

Understanding the terminology

First, let's try to formulate how current legislation determines the total and living area of ​​an apartment. According to paragraph 5 of Art. 15 of the Housing Code of the Russian Federation, the total area of ​​a residential premises is the sum of the area of ​​all parts of such premises. This cubic capacity also includes the area of ​​auxiliary premises intended to satisfy citizens’ household and other needs. Balconies, verandas, terraces and loggias are not included here. The concept of living space is not defined as such in the Housing Code.

However, when determining areas residential buildings and apartments, the Instruction on conducting accounting of the housing stock in the Russian Federation (approved by order of the Ministry of Land Construction of the Russian Federation dated 08/04/1998 No. 37) also applies. It gives the following definition. The total area of ​​the apartment is formed by the sum of the areas of its premises, built-in wardrobes, as well as the areas of loggias, balconies, verandas, terraces and cold storage rooms, which are calculated with the following reduction factors:

  • loggias - 0.5;
  • balconies and terraces - 0.3;
  • verandas and cold storage rooms - 1.0.

By living area, the above instructions mean the sum of the areas of all living rooms in the apartment. True, this document also includes the concept of “apartment area”, which, in fact, coincides with the definition of the total area given in the LCD.

How is the area calculated in a new building?

It is not surprising that with such an abundance of terms and their interpretations, controversial situations may arise. Most often this happens under a shared construction agreement, upon conclusion of which the developer provides a description of the shared participation object (apartment), based on the data project documentation on house. The design and construction of multi-apartment residential buildings under construction are carried out on the basis of SNiP 31-01-2003, in which the calculation of areas is proposed to be carried out in accordance with the Instructions on the registration of housing stock. It is also used when measuring an apartment for cadastral registration, i.e. the total area is calculated using reduction factors.

But there is one nuance: what figure to take as a basis when calculating the cost is specified in the share participation agreement. This depends on the developer’s marketing policy: you can take a living space, and then a square meter will cost more. Or you can reduce the cost per square meter to attract buyers, taking the total area as a basis. However, this cheapness will turn out to be imaginary, because it is compensated by the larger footage. So, you need to carefully study the DDU in order to understand what area will be taken into account when determining the cost of the apartment, otherwise it is unlikely that you will be able to prove the developer wrong. It is possible to make a claim only if the actual area of ​​the apartment differs from that indicated in the document, then the shareholder has the right to demand the return of money for unfinished meters.

It is also worth paying attention to the difference between a loggia and a balcony. At first glance, these concepts are almost identical, but when calculating the total area, different coefficients are used for them (0.5 for a loggia and 0.3 for a balcony). The differences are as follows. The loggia has side walls, a ceiling and is, as it were, recessed into the building, and the balcony protrudes beyond the perimeter of the house.

What does the square footage of an apartment affect?

In addition to the market value of real estate, the cubic capacity of the apartment also affects the amount of utility bills.

Thus, to determine the payment for heating in accordance with the Rules for the provision of utility services to citizens, approved by Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation (dated May 23, 2006 No. 307), the total area of ​​​​the living space is taken into account, with the exception of unheated premises (cold loggias, balconies, storage rooms, etc. .). In the absence of meters, the same system applies when charging for hot and cold water supply.

A recent innovation in the housing and communal services sector - common house needs - is also indirectly related to the number of meters of total area owned by each resident. Each home owner pays for one unit in proportion to the square footage of the property he owns. So existing legal intricacies can cause an increase in utility costs. And since the final amount is often quite substantial, apartment owners have the right to know how much space they will have to pay for.

Olga Fedosova, correspondent for GdeThisDom.RU

Many citizens who are going to carry out any transaction with their real estate, or rather an apartment, are interested in the question of what is included in the living area of ​​the apartment, because what more space will be allocated for living, the correspondingly higher the price of real estate, this is quite normal. You should also know that the premises have not only residential, but also other types of areas. Everything that directly concerns the size of housing needs to be understood and understood, then you will be able to choose the most suitable housing.

Total area of ​​the apartment - definition

This term refers to the total footage of all premises located in the housing, and it does not matter whether they are residential or utility.

These meters are used when calculating payments for utilities, in a sales contract, etc. It consists of:

  • Rooms that are suitable for living in them.
  • Children's room, living room and bedroom.
  • A room reserved for cooking.
  • Cabinets that are built into the wall.
  • Niches located in the walls.
  • Loggia.
  • The corridor is also included in it.
  • Terrace.
  • Veranda.

Calculation of the total area of ​​the apartment

This issue is worth understanding in as much detail as possible. After all, the price of the entire room depends on the total area, and it follows that it must be calculated correctly.

Everything is very simple, to find out what the estimated area of ​​​​the entire apartment is, you should find out the footage of each room, and then sum up the resulting values. Determining the square meters of rooms is quite simple, using formulas familiar to everyone from a regular mathematics course at school. Please note that measurements are taken exclusively on the inside of the baseboard.

You may also find the formulas from the following article useful: (with examples). ⇐

Are partitions included in the total area of ​​the apartment?

This important question, which arises among people interested in calculating the total area of ​​their home. The answer to this is found in the Housing Code and SNiP. It clearly states that they are part of the general living area.

Please note that the distance required to calculate the total area is measured along the perimeter of all walls at a height of 1.1 to 1.3 meters from the floor.

What is the living area of ​​an apartment

Many people are interested in what exactly relates to the footage of an apartment, for example, Is the kitchen included in the living area of ​​the apartment?. The answer is simple - no. After all, by definition it is clear that residential means suitable for living. Even if the cooking room is equipped with everything necessary for sleeping, it is still not residential.

Hence the conclusion that the living area is the total square footage of all rooms suitable for living, for example, a bedroom, living room, children's room and other similar rooms. All other rooms, such as the kitchen, balcony, bathroom, etc., do not belong to the living space.

How counts living area of ​​the apartment

There are several options for how to do this, for example, often the total area of ​​your living space is already known.

Then it is enough to calculate the footage of all premises that are not residential, and subtract the resulting result from the total area. But it may also be that the value of the entire footage of the apartment is unknown and there is no time to determine it.

You should calculate the area of ​​each habitable room, and then add them up. The resulting value will be the living area of ​​the apartment.

Is the kitchen, bathroom or toilet, balcony included in the living area

This has already been mentioned before, but it’s worth repeating just in case. All premises that are not suitable for living are not included in the living area of ​​the apartment. That is, it turns out that the kitchen, bath, toilet, balcony and similar rooms are not part of the living space of your home

. Take this into account and exclude them when calculating, otherwise you will get the wrong footage!

What does the square footage of an apartment affect?

First of all, it affects the cost of the apartment; the size of utility bills directly depends on the cubic capacity. For example, payment for heating is calculated taking into account the total area of ​​the living space, excluding those rooms that are not heated. If there are no meters, payments for hot and cold water are calculated in the same way.

Not long ago, housing and communal services introduced “Common Household Needs”. They are also related to the square footage of the apartment. All homeowners pay TDS in relation to the area of ​​the premises they own.

Many apartment owners do not agree with its layout, so they often want to make a renovation, that is, change the current arrangement of rooms, thereby making the living area larger or smaller. Before doing this, you need to obtain the appropriate permission:

  1. Citizen collects Required documents and submits them to the competent authority, which can be found at the location of the apartment.
  2. Consideration of the application can last 45 days from the date of its submission, then the owner will receive a response in writing.
  3. If the answer is positive, you can begin redevelopment.

Attention! If the answer is negative, it can be challenged in court. To do this, the citizen must submit an application, to which he must attach all documents confirming that the refusal is illegal.

List of documents that need to be submitted to the competent authority:

  • Technical certificate.
  • Inquiry as to whether construction work can be carried out.
  • Ready redevelopment project.
  • Documents confirming that the citizen is the owner of the property.
  • Permission to carry out redevelopment from all co-owners.
  • Technical expertise confirming that it is permissible to make changes to the current layout. Its results may prohibit doing this if the building of the house is, for example, dilapidated. This should be taken seriously.

In some cases, this list may be longer. A government agency official will notify you when the property owner submits a request.

Important! Do not remodel without permission, this can lead to fines and even confiscation of property.

Conclusion

Now you know what the living space of an apartment consists of and have decided what this concept is. It includes exclusively residential premises; it should also not be confused with the living area, which implies the total footage of the entire apartment.

Today we will try to understand what is included in the living area of ​​the apartment. This question begins to interest citizens when they are about to carry out a real estate transaction. Namely, with an apartment. It is always important to know and understand how much space will be allocated “for living”. As practice shows, the higher this indicator, the higher the cost of housing. This is a completely normal phenomenon that should not be surprising. True, any apartment has not only living space, but also other types of areas. They also play their own role. All details regarding the size of the home must be understood. Only then will you be able to assess essentially how well the apartment suits your requirements.

Three components

What is included in the living area of ​​the apartment? Before you begin to understand this issue, you need to get acquainted with all the “dimensions” of the home. It has already been said that there are several of them. At the moment, we can distinguish 3 components of the apartment:

  • living space;
  • apartment area;

Without this knowledge, it is impossible to say exactly which apartment you are agreeing to. Therefore, real estate sellers are always asked for this information. If you know what is included in each type of housing area, you can not be afraid of being deceived in real estate transactions.

General

So, first you need to get acquainted with such a concept as the total area of ​​housing. Usually it includes all residential and non-residential premises that are only related to the proposed housing.

Please note that here in mandatory Loggias and balconies are not included. In general, very often sellers try to deceive their clients by indicating these components as living quarters. It is not right. According to the Housing Code, balconies and loggias do not count towards the area of ​​an apartment at all. Therefore, they should, as it were, “stand apart” and be indicated in advertisements simply for information.

Residential

What is included in the living area of ​​the apartment? First you have to find out what this term actually means. It is not difficult to guess that living space is the space in which people will live. In other words, premises suitable for habitation.

There doesn't seem to be anything difficult to understand. Only the population often cannot accurately answer what is included in a given area. After all, in apartments there are different quantities rooms, and utility rooms, and even a bathroom have space. Is all this really included in our core component today? Not at all. But in order to fully understand what is included in each of the three existing areas, it is necessary to consider one more concept.

Everything and completely

Which one exactly? There is such a term as “apartment area”. Usually this means the entire apartment. All residential and non-residential premises, as well as other components.

The balcony is included in the area of ​​the apartment. And the loggia too. Usually such space is also called useful. A variety of mezzanines are also included in the concept of usable area. In Russia this is exactly the interpretation used. But in other countries under usable area only used premises in housing are understood. What a mess!

Specific Ingredients

What is included in the living area of ​​the apartment? It has already been said that these are suitable premises for living. They are the ones included here. In simple terms, this term refers to rooms.

It turns out that the more there are, the higher this indicator will be. Please note that the bathroom is not included in the living area. Why? It is not suitable for living. Therefore, it cannot be considered residential. This is a place you can’t do without, but no one will live in it.

Is the kitchen included in the living area of ​​the apartment? No. It is not right. AND this feature will also have to be taken into account. After all, sellers may try to increase the living space at the expense of the kitchen area, as well as balconies and bathrooms.

So what is included in the "living part" of the apartment? Rooms. The most ordinary rooms in which you will live. The more there are, the higher this indicator. Nothing else applies here. Not a single component of the apartment is included in the living space.

Counting Rules

It’s good that it’s considered one of our main indicators that affects the value of real estate, we figured it out. Now it would be nice to understand how living space is calculated. This point is extremely important. After all, the cost of housing will directly depend on it.

Everything is easy and simple. We have already found out that the component of this space is living room. Then everything is simple. To understand how much area is allocated for living, you must first calculate the footage of each room, and then add the resulting values ​​together. And you will get the desired indicator. How is the area of ​​a room calculated? Here the most common mathematical formulas for calculating the area of ​​a square and rectangle come to the rescue. All measurements must be taken on the inside of the baseboard.

Components of the total area

What else is worth paying attention to? For example, what does the total area of ​​the home include? This important indicator also plays a role for many. Using it, you can determine what space is allocated in general for your needs, and not just for living. This includes:

  • toilet (with separate bathroom);
  • kitchen;
  • hallway;
  • wardrobe;
  • bedrooms;
  • living rooms;
  • other rooms and premises in the home.

Please note what has already been said earlier - balconies and loggias cannot be added to the total area. The Housing Code of the Russian Federation indicates that these premises do not belong to the apartment at all. Please take this into account. Often, buyers are not aware of this rule at all, which entails negative consequences.

One more point - various niches and stairs are included in the “common space” of the apartment, but under certain conditions. Which ones exactly? In addition to premises, it is also worth adding to this indicator:

  • niches from 2 meters in height;
  • internal staircases (the space under them);
  • arches more than 200 centimeters in height;
  • heating stoves;
  • protruding elements.

Instead of a conclusion

It's all so easy and simple, if you figure it out. Now it is clear what is included in the living space of the apartment and not only. From now on, it will be very difficult to deceive you.

To find out the above indicators in specific measurements for a specific apartment, you need to take an extract from the BTI. An apartment plan with detailed footage will be drawn there. Accordingly, the total area, both residential and non-residential, is indicated here. It is this document that affects the cost of housing.

In general, there are a lot of controversial issues in our issue today. And, as a rule, it is an extract from the BTI that can solve all problems. This document serves as the basis for calculating the cost of the apartment. If you are planning a real estate transaction, always ask for an extract from the seller. This is the only way you can protect yourself from unnecessary mistakes.