The state will monitor companies that poorly renovate panel buildings

Prague - The Ministry for Regional Development wants to supervise companies that are repairing panel buildings with the help of state funds. According to Mladá fronta Dnes, the Ministry of Regional Development (MMR) wants to carry out certification of construction companies that can participate in state-subsidized repairs. In addition, all property owners who want to apply for state subsidies must have a ten-year guarantee secured from the construction company that will carry out the repairs, MfD writes.
    The ministry's tightening of conditions is prompted by complaints from homeowners regarding completed repairs. The most common defects include falling polystyrene insulating facades, mold around windows and doors, or inadequate fire safety measures.
    According to MfD, the ministerial changes are expected to take effect this year; such a change does not require the ministry to amend the law, only the rules for granting subsidies will change, it writes.
    The new conditions will affect millions of people living in panel buildings, currently, according to MfD, this is every third resident of the republic. Currently, only a quarter to a third of all buildings have been renovated, according to estimates. The state contributes approximately 1.5 billion crowns annually to property owners, who are mostly cooperatives, for modernization, writes Mladá fronta Dnes.