Safe Housing Rental Service May Appear in Russia

In Russia, there is a growing need to create an official online service for renting housing that will verify the documents of the parties before the transaction. This was stated by Artem Sheikin, Deputy Chairman of the Council for the Development of the Digital Economy under the Federation Council.

According to him, fraud in the real estate market has become a serious problem. In 2024, more than 30,000 fraud reports were registered in major cities of the country when renting and buying housing. Those who search for apartments without the help of realtors or do not conduct proper legal verification are especially vulnerable.

Sheikin noted that fraudsters use various schemes to deceive tenants. They may require prepayment for booking accommodation or access to a real estate database, after which they disappear. There are cases when the same apartment is rented to several tenants at the same time.

According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, tens of thousands of cases of fraud related to real estate are recorded annually. In some regions, fraudulent schemes have become real businesses involving groups of people and even unscrupulous real estate agents.

The senator believes that the main reasons for such situations are the low level of legal literacy of citizens and the lack of a unified system for checking landlords. He stressed that the loss of money or housing is not just a personal problem, but a disturbing signal for society.

Sheikin called for the creation of a system that will protect tenants and ensure the safety of transactions. He is confident that it is necessary to change the approach to market regulation so that no family or student becomes a victim of fraud.

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