Compensation Mechanisms in Housing Relations: From Social Guarantees to Civil Law Protection

Author information:

Yuri Zaika
Doctor of Law, Sciences, Professor Chief Researcher of the Academician F. H. Burchak, Scientific Research Institute of Private Law and Entrepreneurship, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1946-3171

Published: 15.04.2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.69724/2786-8834-2026-9-2-88-110

Keywords: right to housing, housing legal relations, social guarantees, compensation mechanisms, civil law protection, monetary compensation, social justice

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Abstract

The article is devoted to clarifying the legal nature and specifics of the institute of compensation within the framework of updating Ukraine’s housing legislation. The author substantiates the role of compensation as a tool for protecting housing rights and classifies its forms based on the grounds of their occurrence: a) provision of benefits (funds for housing acquisition); b) coverage of expenses incurred during the exercise of the right (forced lease); c) compensation for the termination of the right to housing or a share thereof; d) restoration of property destroyed as a result of military actions. It is proven that compensation serves as an equivalent to lost benefits, and its purpose is the socialization of housing law by substituting the absence of housing with other material goods. Special attention is paid to the forms of compensation which, under martial law and reconstruction, are implemented not only through monetary payments but also in kind: by providing housing certificates, performing construction works, or design. It is stated that the category of “fair compensation” is abstract, as its content depends on the economic state of the country and an individual’s perception of the benefit. The paper identifies critical shortcomings in existing mechanisms for compensating housing benefits. In particular, it is substantiated that compensation for housing rentals for military personnel does not correspond to market realities due to its linkage to an undervalued subsistence minimum. The implementation of regional coefficients and a revision of the methodology for determining basic social standards are proposed. Furthermore, the necessity of improving the order of priority for payments to family members of Ukraine’s defenders is proven, as the current procedure is not fully aligned with the principles of family and inheritance law. It is concluded that compensation must transform into a comprehensive and socially just mechanism for restoring an individual’s property status.

How to Cite

In accordance with DSTU 8302:2015:
Заіка Ю. Компенсаційні механізми у житлових у правовідносинах: від соціальних гарантій до цивільно-правового захисту. Цивілістична платформа. 2026. № 2 (9). С. 88-110. https://doi.org/10.69724/2786-8834-2026-9-2-88-110

According to the international style of APA:
Zaika, Y. (2026) Compensation Mechanisms in Housing Relations: From Social Guarantees to Civil Law Protection. С. P. Journal, 2 (9). https://doi.org/10.69724/2786-8834-2026-9-2-88-110 [in Ukrainian].

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