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- Rental housing in Moscow and St. Petersburg: in 2026, the cost will increase by 5-10%
Rental housing in Moscow and St. Petersburg: in 2026, the cost will increase by 5-10%
Last year, average and median rental prices in Russia decreased slightly. The rates will also change in 2026. Some experts predict a decrease in cost against the background of the expected reduction in the cost of mortgages, others believe that a reduction in the key rate by several percentage points will not have a noticeable impact on the market. In their opinion, rent may rise within the limits of inflation. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
How has rental housing changed in 2025
The average cost of long-term apartment rentals over the past year in all Russian cities has not changed or decreased slightly compared to 2024. According to Alexey Popov, chief analyst at Cyan, by the end of 2025, prices for renting one-room apartments decreased by 1% (to 31.9 thousand rubles), and two-bedroom apartments became 3% cheaper (44.6 thousand rubles).
During the high season (from May to September), prices rose, but the scale was half that of previous years. So, if in 2023-2024 the rental price increased by 20-25%, then in 2025 — by 10%.
In Moscow, the average rental rate for a studio apartment fell by 0.3% year—on-year, in the Moscow region - by 0.2%, in St. Petersburg the figure increased by 5.6%, in the Leningrad region increased by 3.5%.
— After the rapid rise in rental prices in 2024, 2025 was more even. In the first half of the year, the average rental price in Moscow increased, but in the second it regained this growth, almost leveling out the figures of the first six months," Irina Dobrokhotova, founder of the BEST—Novostroy real estate agency in Moscow, told Izvestia.
The median rental rate in cities with a population of one million for all types of rooms at the end of 2025 decreased by 3.3%, amounting to 35 thousand rubles, Roman Zhukov, head of the Yandex Rent service, told Izvestia. However, during the year, the rate fluctuated from month to month from -3.8% to +6.3%. The median cost varied in each region in its own way.
According to the service, in Yekaterinburg it decreased by 5.4%, to 36 thousand rubles per year, in Novosibirsk by 3%, to 35 thousand rubles, in St. Petersburg it increased by 0.6%, to 46 thousand rubles, in Moscow it increased by 3.8%, to 95 thousand rubles.
The price of a tenant's entry into the Moscow market with "decent" housing within the MKAD is 45-50 thousand rubles, Alexander Vodolazov, head of the Ministry of Real Estate agency, said in a conversation with Izvestia. According to him, the market in the capital has grown by 10-15% in 2025.
In "old" Moscow, according to Oksana Polyakova, deputy director of the Apartment Rental Department of the INCOM-Real Estate agency, the average cost of a studio on the mass market today is 46-57 thousand rubles, a one—room apartment is 52-66 thousand rubles, and a two—room apartment is 70-85 thousand rubles.
— Average prices in more than half of the study cities (in total, prices in 40 cities were analyzed. — Ed.) decreased in 2025 due to an increase in housing supply: there are many affordable facilities on the market. At the same time, high—quality options in convenient locations are being rented out just as quickly, finding new tenants on average in up to two weeks: in these cases, landlords do not have to lower prices and wait a long time," Konstantin Kamenev, head of the Avito Real Estate long-term rental category, commented to Izvestia.
In December, the cost of rent in the capital fell by 8% compared to the same period in 2024, in Sochi - by 9%, in St. Petersburg increased by 5%, according to Avito Real Estate. Over the year, interest in long-term rentals decreased by 8%: against the background of a decrease in the Central Bank's key rate, mortgages became more affordable, so a number of Russians returned to the issue of buying their own homes, the company explained.
What will the prices be in 2026
As in previous years, seasonality will have a greater impact on rental prices in Moscow and St. Petersburg in 2026 than other factors. In the coming months, rent will continue to fall in price by 1-1.2% per month, with steady growth resuming in June and July, Popov said.
— In 2026, traditionally, the cost of hiring will vary depending on seasonality. In the absence of external interference, the rental segment is regulated by seasonal factors, and apartment prices can change by 5-15%: demand is usually inactive in winter and spring, and landlords reduce prices, while the number of tenants increases in summer and autumn, the cost of renting increases and persists by inertia until the end of the year," commented Polyakova.
Significant fluctuations in rates in individual cities can be expected only if the supply structure changes, for example, when a significant number of high—budget lots enter the market in newly commissioned projects, Zhukov notes.
Experts assessed the impact of the key rate in different ways. Thus, Cian suggested that, against the background of improving mortgage conditions, interest rate growth may slow down and by the end of 2026, the indicator will be lower than in 2025. Avito Real Estate said that with a reduction in the rate, the number of rental housing offers will decrease.
— The state of the long-term rental market in 2026 will depend on the size of the key rate: the lower it is, the more affordable mortgages will become and more properties will return to the sale segment. In this scenario, rental offers will become fewer, and competition between tenants will increase," commented Kamenev.
The rate may also play a role in Moscow's luxury housing market, Andrey Solovyov, partner at NF GROUP, told Izvestia. According to him, as the rate decreases, it will be possible to observe a slight decrease in average rental rates.
Polyakova believes that cheaper mortgages can affect rental demand, but not globally. A massive outflow of tenants, which could cause a serious reduction in the cost of the rental market, is unlikely. According to her, only a gradual transition of some tenants to the sales market is possible. While market mortgages remain expensive, prices are holding up, so many people have to postpone buying their own homes and rent.
— The hiring market remains active, and the situation is likely to continue in 2026. Against this background, a price reduction is hardly possible. In addition, the housing stock is being updated, and apartments in more modern buildings are entering the rental market — they are more expensive than in outdated ones, which affects the average rental prices. At the same time, general inflation has an impact — the cost of goods and services, including housing and communal services, is rising, and renting housing in these conditions will not become cheaper," Polyakova explained.
Vodolazov also believes that even with the projected softening, prices are still very high so that people can massively afford to buy real estate. If we do not take into account other factors, "which we do not know now," the rental price will rise within the limits of inflation.
Denis Odintsovo, a real estate and mortgage broker, told Izvestia that rental prices in Moscow would continue to rise, at least at an inflation rate of 5-10%. According to him, the factor is always the same — Moscow, as the center of gravity, "attracts more and more people and businesses from the regions."
In St. Petersburg, rental rates will increase by 5-10%, Alexey Bondarev, general director of the Pride Group agency in St. Petersburg, told Izvestia. Prices in Sochi will also increase by 5-10%, Yulia Usacheva, general director of the agency in Sochi "City Real Estate Center", predicted.
— The increase in rates in 2025 was against the background of a structural deficit. Demand consistently exceeds supply due to restrictions on new construction and a shortage of vacant land on the coast. In 2026, the lease is entering a quieter phase. The average growth under long-term contracts is estimated at 5-10% per year. At the same time, resort and premium locations retain the potential for price increases of up to 10-15%," said Usacheva.
How will rent change in 2026 for those who have already rented a house
The rates are usually changed once a year or less, Popov said. According to the expert, the increase should not exceed the inflation rate, "unless the apartment has made significant improvements that have increased the level of comfort during living."
As Vodolazov noted, landlords mostly changed prices in 2024, while those who signed the contract before the Central Bank's rate hike had already raised the cost. The expert assumes that in 2026 apartment owners will not raise rates more than once a year, new contracts will be concluded at current prices.
Owners, as a rule, increase the rental price after a year, especially if the initial price of the apartment was lower than the market price. According to expert Zhukov, there is now a certain flexibility of landlords in pricing in the long-term rental market.
In 2025, they rarely increased the price in ads when looking for a tenant and often lowered the price to speed up the rental process. In the first quarter of last year, the share of reduced—price ads averaged 37.3% among millionaires, 36.6% in the second quarter, and 30.1% in the third. The average size of such a discount, according to him, ranged from 10.4% in the first quarter to 9.2% in the third.
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