The expert questioned the expediency of fines for renting housing without a contract

The introduction of fines for renting housing without a contract may be ineffective. Only 10% of apartments are officially rented, and it is almost impossible to identify the remaining cases. Irina Radchenko, President of the International Academy of Mortgage and Real Estate, told Izvestia on April 24.

The day before, it was reported that a group of State Duma deputies sent a bill to the Cabinet of Ministers of Russia proposing to impose fines for renting housing without concluding a contract.

"No one will name exact figures, but it can be calculated empirically: only one in ten apartments is rented under a contract. The desire of deputies to impose fines is pointless — how to prove that housing is rented informally? It's unrealistic," Radchenko said.

The expert noted that the situation is unlikely to change, since no one will go to the neighbors and find out who lives here. Unless tenants violate the order, but there are already other mechanisms for this.

According to the expert, the main problem lies in the tax system. In Russia, taxes for employees are paid by the employer, whereas in Europe it is done by the citizen himself. Although taxes are high there, rental housing is deducted from the tax base. The tenant submits the contract to the tax authorities and pays tax only on the remaining amount. Thus, the government supports tenants, but landlords are also required to pay taxes. The whole system functions transparently.

"Instead of fines and bans, deputies should look at the root of the problem. Good solutions have already been thought out, we just need to learn from experience," Radchenko summed up.

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Many people who paid for housing 10-15 years ago did not receive it.

On April 20, analysts at Razvitie Group spoke about the growing demand in the real estate rental market. They noted that the number of apartments for long—term rent increased by 4.2% compared to February 2025, and by 28% compared to the end of 2024.