Do I have to pay the electricity debt the seller left?

The Ley Orgánica del Sistema y Servicio Eléctrico places payment on the user (the contract holder or whoever receives the service directly) and does not say that the earlier debt passes to the buyer. But CORPOELEC asks for the cuenta contrato to be paid up for the change of holder, so in practice someone has to pay it before the contract is in your name.

And the water debt with Hidrocapital or another hidrológica?

The water law requires the subscriber, who is the holder of the service contract, to pay (articles 69 and 73). We did not find a rule passing that debt to the buyer, but the provider can suspend service for late payment.

Does the Registro ask for the solvencia de aseo urbano?

It depends on the municipality. Article 97 of the Ley de Registros y Notarías does not include it, but some ordinances do require it: in Guarenas, registrars must demand it for sales (article 93 of its waste collection ordinance).

Can the alcaldía charge me the tax the seller did not pay?

Yes, in municipalities such as Guarenas and Palavecino (Cabudare) the buyer is jointly and severally liable for the unpaid tax, unless they buy by court decision. Require the current solvencia before signing.

What documents does CORPOELEC ask for to change the contract to my name?

According to its procedures page: a copy of the registered title document, a copy of the cédula, a copy of the RIF and the paid-up cuenta contrato number.

Power, water and waste debts when buying

Q: Does the condominium debt pass to the buyer?

Yes. Article 13 of the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal says that the obligation for common expenses always follows the ownership of the apartment, even for expenses prior to the purchase. Any right the buyer may have to claim back from the seller what they pay is preserved.

When you buy a used home, the seller may leave unpaid bills, and not all of those debts work the same way: electricity and water debts arise from a service contract, waste collection (in Guarenas, a municipal fee) and the property tax are municipal levies, and condominium fees follow the apartment by law.

Which debt can fall to the buyer

Debt	What the rule says	Risk for the buyer
Electricity (CORPOELEC, the state electricity company)	The user pays it: the contract holder or whoever receives the service directly	We found no rule passing it to the buyer, but CORPOELEC asks for the cuenta contrato (service account) to be paid up to change the holder
Water (hidrológicas, the state water companies)	The subscriber who holds the contract pays it	We found no rule passing it to the buyer; the provider can suspend service for late payment
Piped gas and internet	We did not find any published rule on the change of owner	Ask the company before signing
Waste collection (aseo urbano)	It depends on each municipality's ordinance	In Guarenas the Registro (public registry) must require the solvencia de aseo (waste collection clearance) for the sale
Municipal property tax	The Guarenas and Cabudare ordinances make the buyer jointly and severally liable	You may have to pay it
Condominium fees	They follow the apartment	The condominium can charge them to you

Electricity and water: the law makes the contract holder pay

Electricity. The law in force is the Ley Orgánica del Sistema y Servicio Eléctrico (electricity system and service law; Gaceta Oficial No. 39.573, December 14, 2010), which repealed the 2001 Ley Orgánica del Servicio Eléctrico. The service contract sets the relationship between user and operator (article 16, numeral 4). A user is whoever uses the service "como titular de un contrato de servicio o como receptor directo del mismo" (as holder of a service contract or as its direct recipient) (article 33), and must comply with their contract and pay on time for the energy consumed (article 35, numerals 1 and 2). The operator, which the law identifies with CORPOELEC (article 28), can apply "las medidas que correspondan" (the appropriate measures) when a user does not pay (article 30, numeral 5). A partial amendment is under way: on October 22, 2026 the Asamblea Nacional (National Assembly) approved part of the articles in second reading and deferred the rest (El Informador, October 23, 2026). We did not find it published in the Gaceta as of October 28; if it is published, these articles may change.

Water. The Ley Orgánica para la Prestación de los Servicios de Agua Potable y de Saneamiento (drinking water and sanitation services law; Gaceta Oficial No. 5.568 Extraordinario, December 31, 2001) follows the same scheme. Its 2007 amendment (Gaceta Oficial No. 38.763, September 6, 2007) only modified two articles, now transitional provisions, and ordered the law reprinted as a single text, the one we cite. A subscriber is the person "titular de un contrato de servicio" (holder of a service contract) registered in the provider's commercial system (article 69), and is required to pay on time what they are billed (article 73, literal b). The provider, whether Hidrocapital or another hidrológica, can suspend service for late payment (article 63, literal e).

Neither law says that the contract's debt passes to whoever buys the home. The Código Civil (Civil Code) provides that contracts have no effect except between the parties (article 1.166). Our reading, which no rule states expressly: the electricity or water debt belongs to the contract holder, not to the buyer. We did not find regulations under either law on the change of owner, and the Hidrocapital website was not loading in October 2026. If a dispute arises with the company, consult a lawyer.

Why that debt can still affect you

The change of holder. On its procedures page, CORPOELEC asks for the following for a residential change of holder: a copy of the registered title document (or of the notarized lease agreement in force), a copy of the cédula (ID card), a copy of the RIF (tax ID) and the "Número de Cuenta Contrato, solvente" (service account number, paid up). If the seller leaves a debt, you will not be able to put the contract in your name until someone pays it.

The cutoff. With the contract in the seller's name and in arrears, the company can act even if you already live there. The water law expressly allows suspending service for late payment (article 63, literal e); the electricity law speaks of "las medidas que correspondan" (the appropriate measures) without detailing them.

Piped gas and internet. We did not find any rule or official requirements published online on what happens to those debts when the owner changes. Ask for the last paid bill and ask the company what it requires to change the name on the account or cancel the service.

Waste collection: it depends on each municipality

Each alcaldía (city hall) regulates waste collection in its ordinance. We reviewed the one for Guarenas, the Reforma de la Ordenanza de Aseo Urbano y Manejo de Desechos Sólidos del Municipio Ambrosio Plaza (amendment to the waste collection and solid waste management ordinance; Gaceta Municipal No. 196-2026, April 16, 2026):

Users are the owners or occupants under any title (article 28), and the owner is jointly and severally liable when a third party occupies the home (article 29).

The levy accrues even if the property is unoccupied or closed (article 64).

The municipality's registrars must require the solvencia de aseo urbano (waste collection clearance) for sales (article 93), and only the alcaldía, through its competent body, or a decentralized agency with authority over solid waste may issue it (article 72).

We read its 112 articles and did not find a rule making the buyer or new owner liable for the earlier waste collection debt. But since the Registro must require the solvencia, in practice the debt has to be paid before the sale is recorded. Article 97 of the Ley de Registros y Notarías (the Registries and Notaries Law) prohibits recording the sale without two documents: the ISLR (income tax) advance payment form and the solvencia municipal (municipal tax clearance) for the taxes on the property. The solvencia de aseo is not on that list: where it is required, it is the ordinance that requires it. Ask at your alcaldía. More on that municipality in the guide to buying in Guarenas.

Property tax and condominium fees: these can pass to you

Municipal tax. The two ordinances we reviewed make the buyer jointly and severally liable for what the seller owes:

Guarenas: whoever acquires a property subject to the tax "será solidariamente responsable" (will be jointly and severally liable) for its payment, unless they acquire it by court decision (sole paragraph of article 4 of the Reforma a la Ordenanza de Inmuebles Urbanos, the amendment to the urban property ordinance, Gaceta Municipal No. 197-2026).

Cabudare (Municipio Palavecino): the acquirer, under any title, is jointly and severally liable with the seller (their predecessor in title) for the taxes accrued and unpaid up to the transfer, unless the purchase results from a final and binding court decision (article 6, numeral 6, of the tax ordinance).

Being jointly and severally liable means the alcaldía can charge the full amount to you. Require the current solvencia before signing; without it the Registro does not record the sale (article 97 of the Ley de Registros y Notarías). How it is calculated and how much is paid in Caracas: municipal property tax.

Condominium fees. Under article 13 of the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (the Condominium Law; Gaceta Oficial No. 3.241 Extraordinario, August 18, 1983), the obligation for common expenses "sigue siempre a la propiedad del apartamento" (always follows the ownership of the apartment), even for expenses prior to the purchase, and any right the buyer may have to claim from the seller is preserved. That solvencia is not in article 97. Details in the guide to condominium debts.

Checklist before signing

Recent bills. Ask for the last paid bill for each service, with the cuenta contrato or subscriber number, and check the balance with each company.

Municipal solvencias. The one for the property tax (mandatory for registration) and the one for waste collection where the ordinance requires it.

Condominium statement of account, signed by the administrator and with a recent cutoff date.

Change of holder. Once the document is registered, request it at CORPOELEC (with the account paid up) and at the hidrológica.

A clause in the opción de compra-venta (purchase option agreement). Agree who pays each debt until handover, that the seller presents up-to-date solvencias and bills before signing at the Registro, and what happens if a debt appears later. To draft it, rely on a lawyer.

Electricity, water and waste collection debts when buying a home in Venezuela