Fitness clubs have requested support measures to reduce rents

"National Fitness Community" has appealed to Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin with a request to develop support measures for owners of commercial real estate against the background of rising rent payments. "Izvestia" got acquainted with the letter on January 31.

According to the industry representatives, this initiative will help to restrain the growth of rental rates and increase the availability of space for fitness clubs, which play an important role in the development of physical culture in the country.

According to the organization, at the end of 2024, there were 9,750 fitness facilities in Russia, and the number of people engaged in fitness reached 7.1 million people. The industry demonstrated growth in key indicators: club card sales increased by 8.2%, attendance by 10.6%, and revenue from additional services by 10.3%. However, total revenue amounted to RUB 187.3 billion, which is below the forecasted RUB 200 billion. The main reason is the outstripping growth of costs for utilities (by 20%), consumables (by 32%) and sports equipment (by 50%). As a result, the prices for fitness services increased by 18.5% in 2024, and further increases of 15-20% are expected in 2025.

The most pressing problem, the paper notes, is rising rents. The study among 1,020 fitness clubs in 85 regions found that 66.7% experienced a 10% increase in rent, while 26.2% experienced a 10-20% increase. For 7.2%, rent went up 20-40%. At the same time, only 17% of clubs own their own premises, while 83% rent them, making them vulnerable to price fluctuations. Thus, since 2025, rents have risen by 40% or more in some cases, forcing clubs to close. Landlords attribute this to the fact that renting out space for offices or stores brings them more profit.

Against this background, the fitness community proposes to introduce tax incentives for owners of commercial real estate who rent out space for fitness centers, as well as to limit the growth of cadastral value, subsidize interest rates on loans and freeze the increase in utility rates. These measures are proposed to be included in the state program "Development of Physical Culture and Sports". Representatives of the organization are ready for a dialogue with the authorities to develop and implement these initiatives.

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In mid-December, "Izvestia" was informed by the Ministry of Construction that a draft law on the creation of a state information system (GIS) for recording housing rental contracts is being developed, and analytics for it are under development. The innovation will make it possible to determine the framework of market value, which will be recommended to rentiers and tenants for adoption.

The Ministry of Construction said that for tenants the platform will act as a guarantor of the transaction and ensure legal interaction with the landlord. There will be an opportunity to check both the object and the owner, to make mutual settlements transparent. For citizens renting housing, this should guarantee security in rental transactions, protection from fraud and fraudulent actions.