In Montenegro a claim for electricity, water, heating, chimney sweeping and waste collection supplied to a household becomes time-barred after two years, as do telephone bills and building management charges paid quarterly or more often. Rent and interest become time-barred after three years, and a debt confirmed by a judgment and other debts with no other period set by law after ten years. A limitation period does not wipe out the debt by itself: a court only takes it into account if the debtor invokes it, and the period is interrupted by acknowledging the debt or by a lawsuit.
This guide explains the limitation periods, what a time-barred debt means and when the period is interrupted or suspended.
How long are the limitation periods?
| Debt | Limitation period |
| Electricity, heating, gas, water, chimney sweeping and waste collection for a household | two years |
| Telephone, post and their other services billed quarterly or more often | two years |
| Building management and other charges for flat owners paid quarterly or more often | two years |
| Rent, monthly or in one sum | three years |
| Interest and other periodic payments, such as maintenance | three years from when each payment falls due |
| Compensation for damage | three years from learning of the damage and who caused it, and five years at most |
| Claims between companies under commercial contracts | three years |
| Debt confirmed by a judgment or court settlement | ten years |
| Other debts | ten years |
- The two-year period for utilities only applies when the supply was for household needs, and other periods apply to companies.
- The period starts on the day after the creditor could first demand payment, and it keeps running while supplies continue.
- A contract cannot set a longer or shorter limitation period than the law.
What does a time-barred debt mean, and what does it not mean?
- Once the period expires, the creditor loses the right to demand payment, but the debt does not disappear by itself.
- A court cannot take the limitation period into account unless the debtor invokes it, so you have to raise it yourself.
- If you pay a time-barred debt, you cannot ask for the money back, even if you did not know it was time-barred.
- A written acknowledgment of a time-barred debt counts as waiving the limitation period, as does giving a pledge or other security.
- When the main debt becomes time-barred, so do interest, costs and contractual penalties.
- A debt secured by a mortgage can still be collected from the mortgaged property after the period expires, but time-barred interest cannot.
When is the period interrupted or suspended?
- The period is interrupted when the debtor acknowledges the debt, by a statement or indirectly, for example by a partial payment, paying interest or giving security.
- It is also interrupted by a lawsuit or other step the creditor takes before a court or other competent authority to establish, secure or collect the debt.
- A reminder or request to pay, written or oral, does not interrupt the limitation period.
- After an interruption the full period starts again, and after an acknowledgment it runs from the day of the acknowledgment.
- The period does not run between spouses, same-sex life partners, parents and children while parental rights last, and unmarried partners while they live together.
How an electricity bill is calculated is covered in our guide to electricity prices, and water prices and connections in our guide to water prices. What to do in a power cut is covered in our guide to power outages, and moving bills to a new flat owner in our guide to transferring utilities. Collecting debts between companies and enforcement are covered by RoNa Legal.
Frequently asked questions
How long until an electricity debt becomes time-barred in Montenegro? Two years, if the electricity was supplied for household needs.
Does a time-barred debt disappear by itself? No, because the limitation period only applies if the debtor invokes it.
Does a reminder interrupt the limitation period? No, only acknowledging the debt or a lawsuit or other step by the creditor before a court or other authority interrupts it.
Does a partial payment interrupt the limitation period? Yes, because a payment counts as acknowledging the debt, so the period starts again from that payment.
How long until unpaid rent becomes time-barred? Three years, whether the rent is paid monthly or in one sum.
Can I get my money back if I paid a time-barred debt? No, not even if you did not know the debt was time-barred.
Sources
Limitation periods, the effect of limitation, interruption and suspension are set by the Law on Obligations, Official Gazette 47/2008 as amended (Articles 369 to 401), and the suspension between same-sex life partners by the December 2024 amendments, Official Gazette 123/2024. The information was checked on 27 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this text is not legal advice.