Constitutional Court Rules Owners of Disconnected Apartments Don't Have to Pay Fixed Heating Fees

Slovakia's Constitutional Court ruled on May 6 that apartment owners who are not connected to central heating systems do not have to pay fixed fees for communal heating costs. The court declared that part of the Economy Ministry's regulation on heating cost allocation is unconstitutional. The ruling affects property owners who have disconnected from central heating and use alternative heating methods, such as their own boilers. Property managers are now uncertain about how to calculate housing costs for 2025 following the decision. The Constitutional Court, Slovakia's highest authority on constitutional matters, determined that requiring disconnected apartment owners to contribute to shared heating expenses violates constitutional principles.