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.