Online Housing Rentals: Where Platforms' Responsibility Begins and Ends

Tragedy as a Catalyst for Regulation

The tragedy in Balashikha, a town in the Moscow region, where four people died in a house fire in January 2026, has reignited the debate over regulating the online housing rental market. According to emergency services, the building was being used as a hostel while effectively operating outside the legal framework.

Against this backdrop, the State Duma announced the need to legislate obligations for online platforms hosting rental listings. Specifically, this includes introducing mandatory classification of listings, banning anonymous bed rentals, and requiring services to respond promptly to requests from regulatory authorities.

As State Duma Construction and Housing Committee member Alexander Yakubovsky noted, a significant portion of illegal hostels today operate through online platforms, remaining in a "gray zone." According to him, the proposed measures logically continue the approach already applied in other segments of the digital economy—from taxis to marketplaces.

Attention to Russia's short-term housing rental segment is intensifying amid its active growth. Thanks to high margins, this market remains one of the most dynamic: according to data from October 2025, over the year the number of companies operating in this sector increased by 13.2% to 10,680, while the number of unique listings on online platforms grew by 17-25%, according to Cian.

Platform Reactions

Cian GR Director Pavel Remnev told Argument Media that their platform features various types of short-term rental properties, including hostels, with owners voluntarily indicating their registration in the Federal Accreditation Service registry. The existing mechanism for responding to violations, he said, is already working on the platform:

"However, if we receive information from users or law enforcement agencies that a hostel has not undergone classification or has not provided data on its completion, the listing is blocked"

At the same time, the market is ready for possible legislative fine-tuning. Remnev emphasized that mandatory classification of listings would be useful for renters, though implementation and adaptation will take time.

Meanwhile, Association of Tourism Aggregators (ATAG) Director Alexander Bragin emphasizes that the short-term private housing rental segment has already seen a steady trend toward emerging from the "gray zone." Incentives include an attractive tax regime for the self-employed, simplified business registration, and amendments to the RF Housing Code that legalized short-term apartment rentals provided neighbors' rights and housing usage norms are respected.

Alexander Bragin specifically highlights the role of aggregators in protecting consumer rights. According to him, many platforms have already implemented verification procedures: before publication, owners may be required to upload confirmation videos and title documents. The aggregator also acts as a financial guarantor of the transaction, transferring money to the owner only after the guest successfully checks in.

At the same time, the ATAG head warns, further regulation requires a balanced approach. Excessive tightening could have the opposite effect: instead of universal legalization—a sharp reduction in supply on conscientious platforms and an outflow to social networks and other uncontrolled channels. This is particularly critical since for many self-employed individuals and small entrepreneurs, such business is a key source of income, and for tourists—often the only affordable accommodation option.

"Short-term apartments help out where there's insufficient modern room inventory. This is especially relevant in natural areas and small towns, whose popularity among tourists has been growing in recent years. Additionally, apartments provide extra comfort and allow savings, especially for families with children: everyone can stay together without paying for multiple rooms, and they can cook and do laundry, reducing restaurant and laundry service expenses," Bragin explains.

Experience with Current Regulation

It's important to distinguish between renting housing through social networks and classifieds versus working with tourism aggregators, which are already subject to mandatory classification requirements, with booking of unclassified properties restricted at the service level itself.

The Association of Tourism Aggregators notes that last year a large-scale reform of the hotel classification system, which lasted several years, reached its final stage. Alexander Bragin told Argument Media that since September 1, 2025, aggregators can only work with classified properties included in the state registry.

To accomplish this, data exchange was established via API. Popular Russian online booking platforms actively interact with relevant regulators—the Ministry of Economic Development and regional control bodies—and all official requests are processed promptly and within established timeframes.

"In September, between 2,000 and 4,000 hotels and other collective accommodation facilities were disconnected, depending on the booking service's database size. Many of them have already completed classification and are again accepting bookings through aggregators," Alexander Bragin reported.

He also reported that as of January 1, 2026, the active phase of an experiment to legalize guesthouses began, being conducted in 18 RF constituent entities. As part of the experiment, aggregators suspended new bookings for approximately 1,700–2,500 unclassified properties.

However, market participants emphasize that directly copying the regulatory model for hotels and guesthouses to the private housing short-term rental segment is unlikely to work. This market has its own specifics, and not all requirements can be standardized without risking distortion of its structure.

The initiative to regulate online housing rental platforms logically fits into the general trend of regulating digital services and generally finds understanding among market participants. At the same time, discussion of specific mechanisms and implementation timelines is only beginning—the initiative itself has not yet been introduced to the State Duma. The key question remains how to build new requirements with industry representatives' participation, account for the specifics of different segments, and avoid pushing part of the market into the shadows.