Accommodation in Moscow
Like most things in this Russian commercial capital, accommodation in Moscow is inordinately expensive; and expats will need to accept that housing on standard with what’s available in Europe or the US will be exceptionally costly.
To prove a point, a low-end, unimpressive one-room apartment in an expat-friendly area of the city can be as much as 3000 euro per month. Thankfully though, it’s not too difficult to find and secure a place to live once you’ve come to terms with the fact that you might not be able to get as much for your money in Moscow.
Furthermore, Russian landlords, though often complicated, also seem to prefer foreign tenants to locals, though this does not necessarily mean those resettling from abroad can expect a discount.
On another note, expats expecting only Stalinist relics or cookie cutter communist flats will be pleasantly surprised by the variety on offer. More or less every type of accommodation is present and accounted for, from the high-priced villas and houses clustered in gated compounds in the city’s suburbs (far from the city), to modern, fully-equipped expansive flats in the city centre.
While older, dated buildings are certainly more plentiful than western-style, highly-secured complexes, both do exist, and the former often house spacious and stylish renovated flats that can be had for more of a bargain (rent for the newer buildings tends to start at 5000 euro per month).
Furnished, unfurnished and semi-furnished accommodation in Moscow is available, and expats will find that for the right price, landlords are willing to add extras or tweak shortcomings.
In fact, in Moscow, money always talks, so don’t be afraid to negotiate.
Price chart for Moscow accommodation (2010)
* Chart extracted from “Moscow’s Elite Residential Rental Market” for 2010 done by the real estate agency Intermark Savills.
Finding accommodation in Moscow
One of the most important points to keep in mind when searching for accommodation in Moscow is that there are traffic jams everywhere and all the time. It won’t be long before you realise that taking the Metro is a must, and it follows that you should choose housing that’s conveniently located near a line that can deliver you to and from key destinations, like your work or your child’s school, quickly and easily.
That said, living near actual metro stations, not just stops, means that you’ll likely be in a more congested area, and a more heavily polluted area.
Most expats seem to live in the city centre inside the circular metro line. More specifically, Chistye Prudy and Zamoskvorechye areas are mainly French, because of the French embassy and the French high school; while outer compounds are mainly for Americans and Japanese.
Otherwise, Arbat / Kropotkinskaya and Tverskaya / Tsvetnoy boulevard areas are particularly expat-friendly.
Do keep in mind that the closer you get to the Moscow city centre, the more expensive rentals generally become. For those who simply can’t fathom sacrificing their attachment to fresh air, new apartment buildings, gated communities and even sumptuous villas are springing up in the suburbs beyond Moscow’s outer beltway. However, this extra space and accessible greenery comes with an additional cost, and the commute into the city centre can be as much as 90 minutes each way.
Do keep in mind that the closer you get to the Moscow city centre, the more expensive rentals generally become. For those who simply can’t fathom sacrificing their attachment to fresh air, new apartment buildings, gated communities and even sumptuous villas are springing up in the suburbs beyond Moscow’s outer beltway. However, this extra space and accessible greenery comes with an additional cost, and the commute into the city centre can be as much as 90 minutes each way.
If you don’t speak Russian it’s recommended that you use a real estate agency to help you find and secure accommodation. These service providers typically charge the equivalent of one month’s rent, and in exchange they provide you with a lot of accommodation choice and help you negotiate a secure lease. They can also deal with landlords when there is a conflict.
In the case you can’t afford such a fee, you can house hunt on your own. The most useful web directory listing accommodation in Moscow is CIAN.RU. Though, you will absolutely need some knowledge of the language to peruse the site.
Securing accommodation in Moscow
In Moscow, securing accommodation is often off the books. It’s not strange for landlords not to ask for papers - no insurance, no proof of paycheck, no guarantee from your employer – and many demand monthly rental payments in cold, hard cash (as they don’t declare to the government that they are renting their property).
Though, if you have been lucky enough to secure an accommodation allowance through your company, you may not be able to pay cash – in which case you may find that landlords will charge you more.
A standard security deposit of the equivalent of one month of rent is generally requested, and the date of monthly rental payment can be negotiated.
For the most part, water and gas should be included in the rental cost, and electricity, Internet, television and telecommunications are for your own account. Be sure to broach this topic during lease negotiations.
Utilities are very cheap, as they are state-run. The down side of this is that you have very little control if you are living in a normal Russian flat and not in one of the very luxurious western-style apartments. Your heating will come on and be switched off when the central heating centre decides it is cold/warm enough, and there is nothing you can do about it. (In all fairness, however, the officials will never allow it to become excessively cold.) During summer your hot water will be cut off for three weeks for general maintenance of the pipes – this happens in every area of Moscow, and you should look for notices up in your building or area informing you of when to expect the water cut.
Utilities are very cheap, as they are state-run. The down side of this is that you have very little control if you are living in a normal Russian flat and not in one of the very luxurious western-style apartments. Your heating will come on and be switched off when the central heating centre decides it is cold/warm enough, and there is nothing you can do about it. (In all fairness, however, the officials will never allow it to become excessively cold.) During summer your hot water will be cut off for three weeks for general maintenance of the pipes – this happens in every area of Moscow, and you should look for notices up in your building or area informing you of when to expect the water cut.
As mentioned previously, money talks in Moscow, and if you’re committing to paying more than 2000 USD per month for your house, you can definitely request small additions before signing the lease.
For example, ask:
- that the security deposit be used to pay the last month of rent
- that the monthly rent be fixed for more than a year
- that the monthly rent only increases a small amount after the term of the initial contract
- that the landlord add and/or buy furniture
- that all your utilities are included in the rental cost
- that the landlord renovate a couple things (painting the walls…)
Regarding the payment, as already pointed out, the standard is to pay rent in Moscow in cash.
Wire transfers are still possible, but the landlord will generally ask to increase the rent by 6 percent or 13 percent, corresponding to the taxes (6% for an entrepreneur and 13% if not).
