Bulgaria's ombudsman Ginyo Ganev warned that if Parliament approved the bills amending the condominium and the energy efficiency acts, which envision that owners of apartments in block of flats pay a common heating bill, he would ask Bulgaria's constitutional court to declare them void as unconstitutional. The amendments also initially allowed heating utilities to cut off servicing a block of flats if two thirds of the residents of the block did not pay the heating bill, but the MPs struck the amendment out.

Ganev argued that common heating bills infringed on civic rights by suggesting that residents of blocks of flats be obliged to establish companies and have collective bills for central heating.

These amendments dramatically affect the civic rights, as the individual right of the consumer cannot be disregarded in this way, Ganev said. He said he would write to Parliament speaker Georgi Pirinski to express "the existing anxiety in the society" provoked by the two bills, which have already been voted on first reading by Parliament. According to Ganev, setting common establishments would also lead to "neighbours quarrels and bad feelings".

According to Alexander Djerov, whoh is a member of the consultative council of the ombudsman, if these amendments were approved, each block of flats would have to hire an accountant to legally split the common bill between all owners. The bills were a disgrace and contradicted all legislative principles and the constitution, Djerov said.

The ombudsman's chief secretary Borislav Tsekov said that the principle of common bills could not be applied in Bulgaria, as more than 90 per cent of the apartments were private property. Similar principles were applied in countries, where most of the buildings belonged to one owner who rented out the apartments.