Russians Ready to Pay for Better Rental Search Tools
A survey by Avito Real Estate and OMI found that most Russians prefer renting directly from owners and are willing to pay extra for better search tools, higher budgets, or real estate agents. The study highlights growing demand for owner-listed properties and challenges in contacting landlords.
Consensus
- 79% of Russians prefer renting directly from property owners.
- 52% of respondents want more rental listings from owners.
- 67% of renters have been outbid by others when trying to rent a property.
- 57% of renters have failed to contact the property owner.
- The survey was conducted online in May 2026 with 1040 participants from 15 Russian cities with over one million residents.
- Participants had searched for and successfully rented an apartment via online platforms between early 2023 and the second half of 2025.
- The share of owner-listed rental properties on Avito increased by 5 percentage points over one year.
- In Moscow, 51% of rental listings were from owners in July 2026; in St. Petersburg, the share was 50%.
- The average monthly rent in Russia in July 2026 was 31,600 rubles, a 3% decrease from the previous year.
- 71% of respondents are willing to increase their budget by an average of 15% if needed.
- 39% of renters have hired real estate agents, and 78% expect more options from agents than from open access.
- 84% consider agent commissions fair, and 53% are willing to pay for enhanced search features.
Points of divergence
- In Omsk and Voronezh, 91% of respondents preferred renting directly from owners; in Nizhny Novgorod, 89%; in Krasnodar, 88%. — riamo
- In Omsk and Voronezh, the preference for direct rental from owners was 91%; in Nizhny Novgorod, it was 89%; in Krasnodar — 88%. — gazeta_spb
- Those who want to rent directly from owners expect a monthly budget of 35,000 rubles; with an agent, it increases to 45,000 rubles. — riamo
- Those who want to rent directly from owners estimate a monthly budget of 35,001 rubles; with an agent, 45,000 rubles. — gazeta_spb
- The share of owner-listed properties on Avito increased by 5 p.p. in one year; in Moscow, it rose to 51% (+9.5 p.p. year-on-year); in St. Petersburg, to 50% (+6 p.p. year-on-year). — riamo
- The share of owner-listed properties increased by 5 p.p. over one year; in Moscow, 51%; in St. Petersburg, 50%. — gazeta_spb
- In Yekaterinburg and Moscow, respondents are willing to pay 16.5% and 16% more respectively; in St. Petersburg and Kazan, 14%; in Novosibirsk, 12%. — gazeta_spb
- The survey was conducted in May 2026 among 1040 people aged 18 to 55, all residing in 15 Russian cities with populations over one million. — riamo
- The survey was conducted in May 2025 among 1040 respondents from 15 million-plus cities. — gazeta_spb
Coverage (2 sources)
- Every second Russian is ready to pay for additional search capabilities for rental housing — РИАМО
- Avito: Every second Russian ready to pay for expanded housing search - SPb.ru - St. Petersburg news — Gazeta.SPb