How to rent an apartment for long-term period in Moscow, Russia.

The minimum period you can rent an apartment for long-term in Russia is normally six months and you will need to pay a fee to the rental agency for finding an apartment and arranging the contract for you. This fee usually equals one-month rent, or slightly less.

The advices below are are written especially to be applicable in any Russian city, but more emphasis is made on Moscow and St. Petersburg:
 

Step 1: Choose the Area to Live In.
First, you should consider the area where you would like to live and your budget. For example, if you are in Moscow for a 6-month business project and your office is in the center, maybe it is worth to rent an apartment in the center to save time on traveling and experience the city's life fully. However, if you will be staying longer, maybe it is better to save money (and health!) and rent a place outside of the center, preferably next to a park (good areas for this are prestigious South-West - Bitza park, inexpensive East - Izmalylovsky park, and the fairly priced North-East - Sokolniki park).
The most prestigious areas in Moscow are the best for renting an apartment, because of the good ecology and well-developed infrastructure. These include South-West, West, and a part of North-West areas (look for the orange and red line of Moscow metro, Krylatskoye, Molodezhnaya stations in the west).
The least expensive (so-called "working class") areas are South-East and East Moscow, where you can save up to 30% on your rent. However, you will most certainly get low-quality housing.

In St. Petersburg the best area in the center is around Moika embankment, close to Hermitage, but also it is the most expensive. Generally St. Petersburg center is more tolerable than Moscow, it seems to be less hectic and have better ecology.
Suburb areas in St. Petersburg are not pleasant to live in. If you would like to settle for a lower rental price, we would recommend Vasilievsky island, as it is quite central, but at the same time the apartments are less expensive there.

In the other Russian cities it is better to aim for a place in the center or in some special area. Such is Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk (30km from the center), which is a home to Novosibirsk university and the local scientific community. So, you are guaranteed to have good neighbors, nice areas to walk, and established transport links with the rest of the city.
As a rule of a thumb, in any Russian city look first at the central area and then at the area next to the biggest university in this city, compare the prices, and make your choice.


Step 2: Decide on How Many Rooms and Facilities You Need.
It may be useful to consider the current situation at the market and think how many rooms you need. Normally, you might want to go for a 1-room apartment, but you should know that in Moscow these apartments are in great demand (especially cheap ones - from $400 / month) and it will be really hard and long process to find one. Maybe it is worth paying slightly more and having a bigger place (where your friends who visit you can stay too)?
Also, don't think that Russia is supposed to be cheap. Maybe it will be true for smaller towns, but you simply won't be able to find a decent western-standard apartment for rent in Moscow or St. Petersburg for less than $1300 US per month (for a 2-room apartment). That is, if you want it to have such basics as a fine-looking apartment with a washing-machine, nice bathroom, and quality furniture.
If you are ready to settle for some kind of compromise, such as "half-renovation" (that's when they tried to make it look like western standard, but somehow it just doesn't feel like it), or without a washing machine and with some old Soviet-style furniture, you may be able to get a 2-room apartment for $800 per month. Anything that costs less will be not very comfortable to live at, unless money is really your main concern.


Step 3: Start Looking for an Apartment.
Third, once you know what you need (location, rooms, quality, price), you can start looking for an apartment. Moscow is a big city and if you don't speak Russian and don't have Russian friends it is really NOT recommended to look through private classifieds.
The problem with them that about 90% is adverts of real-estate agencies, who mask as private owners and make impossible offers. So, you waste your time (and sometimes, money!) and don't get anything at all.
Also, there are some agencies that sell you a list of 100 apartments for rent with telephone numbers of the owners for $50 or more. This is not an option, as well, because the amount of time you'll spend calling through all the numbers will cost you much more than any rental agency fee you could've paid. Besides, there's a high chance you won't find any apartment, because the list is not up-to-date.
A much better choice is to go to a good real-estate agency and ask them to find an apartment for you. Usually real-estate agencies in Russia work in the way that you should first phone them, tell an agent what kind of place you need, leave your phone number and she'll call you back one-two days later with a list of suitable option and will try to arrange a good time to see the apartments she found in their database.
At this stage you don't have to pay anything and you can meet with the agent and see a few apartments without any obligations. Usually, it takes about 1 month to find an apartment in Moscow, so don't be afraid to look through many options (if you have time, of course), until you find something good.
Once you find a suitable apartment and agree on the price, you need to close the deal.
If you are arranging these stuff outside of Russia, it may be a good choice to rent a short-term apartment for a few days or weeks to get the feel of what kind of place you would like to live at and have time to look at the options the agent will propose to you.
 
 
Step 4: Check if the Landlord is Legitimate and Sign the Deal.
So, the fourth, and final, step, is to make a contract. Real-estate agents usually take 100% of 1-month rental price you agreed upon as their agent fee, and it is paid when the contract is signed.
Before signing the contract, you should check that the landlord really has rights to rent out this apartment. After you're sure that the landlord can be trusted, you can sign the contract and pay the agency fee.
Note, that many people in Russia don't like to put the full rental price in the contract to avoid problems with taxes. So, they will often propose you to write, say $200 instead of $800. It is up to you whether to agree or not, depending on your situation. Even if the rental price is more than $800 US, only about 20% landlords will insist on registering it in the tax office.
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How to check the landlord's legitimacy:
Check the documents that assure his rights to rent the apartment out, especially the passport, papers assuring the property ownership rights (it can be the ownership certificate, the certificate of purchase, or a notary proof permission from the actual owner to rent out the apartment on his behalf), and any documents that show how many people are registered at the apartment. Russian law is made in such a way, that if there's any of the people who are actually registered at the apartment disagree with you living there, you can rent it.
If you are making your deal through a reputable rental agent, they will do this job for you, and that is partially what you are paying the commission for. You may also go for no-fee option, but then it's better to check all that by yourself.
 
 

Disclaimer: Please, note, that although we are trying to make the information in this section as accurate as possible, it does not constitute a legal advice, and we are not liable nor responsible for any loss, injury, or problems that may arise from using this information.