Housing and municipal utilities are fertile ground for various wheeling-dealing, and a filed for most cruel battles for information access. Up to now, courts quite seldom decide in favor of citizens seeking for information, though their favorite explanation “the information requested does not touch the applicant’s direct rights” is not easy to be used in such cases. Thus, it is especially rejoicing to see a positive court decision referring to the Russian FOI law.

A federal law is approved, amending several provisions in the Housing Code of the Russian Federation and in some other federal laws regulating the field of housing and municipal utilities. In particular, new amendments address issues of access to information about house managing companies’ activities.