Krasnodar, 5 June – Yug Times. Once a favourite among investors during the boom years of Black Sea coastal development, individual apartments are increasingly viewed as a risky asset due to persistent legal ambiguity. Recent legislative changes, including a new tourism law requiring classification of all accommodation facilities by September 2025, have exposed gaps in the system—chiefly the absence of clear status for privately owned apartments, which are now left outside official registries. While hotels, resorts, campgrounds, and holiday bases fall under the classification framework, standalone apartments—unlike aparthotels—don’t qualify. This leaves them in a legal grey area, unable to appear on booking platforms or legally host tourists, thus complicating their use and taxation. Earlier this year, the State Duma rejected a long-anticipated bill that would have defined such apartments as part of multi-functional buildings, further clouding their future.“Legally, apartments are commercial spaces used for living or business, but they are not classified as residential property,” explains Aleksei Bravin, CEO of G5 Architects. While cheaper than flats and versatile in usage, these units lack permanent registration rights, attract higher taxes and utility fees, and typically come without access to social infrastructure like schools or clinics.
Despite their popularity in resort areas like Sochi and Gelendzhik, experts warn of the growing misuse of the term “apartment” by developers and estate agents. “They are often marketed as flats, but in fact these are hotel rooms with kitchenettes,” says Olga Shebzukova, an urban planner. Misrepresentation, she adds, threatens to mislead buyers and overload local services never designed to support permanent residents. The issue is compounded by rapid redevelopment of old Soviet wellness resorts into aparthotels. These promise faster returns on investment than hotels, yet encourage year-round occupancy in what should be transient lodgings. Experts warn of social and infrastructure strain, alongside the erosion of spa tourism capacity. Only one new wellness complex—‘Kristall’—has been built in Sochi in 25 years. Some draw on global examples, such as Dubai’s mixed hotel-residence models or France’s classification system for furnished rooms. Yet such systems hinge on firm tax regimes and clearly defined rights—elements still lacking in Russia’s current framework. Without clearer reg- ulation, investors face hidden risks, particularly in the resale market, while municipalities miss out on vital tax revenue.
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