15.05.2008
 Accommodation
Look for Price, Location, and Registration!
This is a compilation of information to assist those looking for cheap accommodation in Russia. For Those Seeking Long-Term Housing: Finding long-term housing in the booming Russian real estate market can be tricky. It's made even trickier by the fact that you need to make sure your housing solution can also register your visa. It's a good idea to make sure you know your rights and responsibilities as a renter by reading this article on the subject. Why You Can't Live in the Dorms: Unfortunately, student housing such as dormitories is only available to students actually attending the universities affiliated with each dormitory. If you wish to take a minimum of, for example, 10-12 hours per week of Russian or other subject lessons, SRAS may be able to help arrange this for you. However, if the lessons will not be a valued part of your trip abroad, the price difference between the dorm and renting an apartment is not worth the extra hassle. Not attending classes may mean the university will expel you, which includes expelling you from the dormitory. Apartment Rentals: SRAS has offers a portal for short-term apartment rentals in Moscow or St. Petersburg. While these are not cheap, they do offer a better value than most hotels in Moscow. For long term rentals, most Russians in Moscow will use cian.ru. The site is only available in Russian and, because posting is free there, many of the posts tend to be from brokers who don't bother to take the posts down after the apartment is rented. However, it can be a good resource if you are willing to put the time and effort into making the calls. You should also be aware of the legalities involved before deciding to rent long-term. Homestay: Host Families Association (HOFA) provides home stay accommodations in more than 60 cities throughout Russia and the CIS. Non-Traditional: Cheap-Moscow.com can also help place you in private apartments and home stays. Finally, making a post on RedTape.ru can also help place you in a cheap non-traditional accommodation. Disclaimer! Due to the decentralized nature of these services, SRAS cannot guarantee the safety or quality of the accommodations offered through these services. Make sure as well that your housing will be register you! What is registration? Guest Houses: Several embassies in Moscow have "guest houses" attached to them. These are usually used to house traveling dignitaries or citizens traveling on official purpose. Several, however, can be rented at surprisingly low rates. A few are listed below. - Moldovan Guest House
- Kyrgyz Guest House
- Latvian Guest House - Phone: 7-(495)785-86-40 Address: Bol. Rzhevskii Per. 7
- Azerbaijan Guest House - 7-(495)229-32-24, 229-49-18 Address: Voznesenskii Per. 15
Bed and Breakfasts: B&B's are starting to catch on in Moscow. Many are now open in central locations in remodeled "komunalkas." These are a better value than most hotels. Hostels: Hostels in Moscow and St. Petersburg cost $25-35 per night for dormitory-style rooms. Prices are lower in other cities. Some include breakfast, others don't. Some also have a couple of twin or single rooms available. We have included links for hostels that have their own website. To book others you can go through one of the many online portals such as HostelWorld.com, which offers a fairly extensive selection of Russian hostels. Moscow St. Petersburg Novgorod Irkutsk/Lake Baikal
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