|
|
 |
»» Long term rentals in St. Petersburg and Moscow
»» Our services
»» Request apartment search
»» Useful information and advice
»» Rental Market overview
»» Location
»» Level of renovation
»» Russian Building characteristics
»» Examples of prices
The long term rental market in St. Petersburg Russia is quite dynamic and has gone through some major changes since the early 1990s.
Specifically, over the past 4 years, there has been a major increase in the availability of Western style, renovated apartments in the city center. With the increase in quantity of these types of apartments, the prices have also dropped. For example, during the mid 1990's when nicely renovated apartments were still somewhat of a rarity, a tenant might have been paying between $1500 - $2500 per month for a 2 room (1 bedroom) apartment in the center. Today, the same apartment typically costs between $1000 - $1200 per month.
Another interesting dynamic is the increase in prices for locally renovated apartments. While 5 or 6 years ago, it was still possible to find a decent, locally renovated 2 or 3 room apartment in the center for between $300 - $400, today the prices have shifted up starting at $700 and going higher. The increase in prices is mainly due to the robustness of the Russian economy which has resulted in a rise in the standard of living of St. Petersburg residents (oil money trickling down to the general population).
Rental prices for the very best apartments (elite rentals) have remained steady for the past 6 years. These properties can be characterized as large apartments (4-6 rooms) with high quality renovation, centrally located with renovated entrances and stairwells, typically with concierge or other security. Prices for these properties have remained basically flat because of a shortage in supply. Rental prices for these apartments typically range from $3500 to $6000 per month.
The following are the most important factors affecting rental prices in St. Petersburg:
 Location
The Center
As with any real estate market, location is one of the most important factors driving St. Petersburg rental prices. A property's location within a specific region or street will highly affect its price. The historical center of St. Petersburg is quite large - encompassing the area from the Neva river to 3-5 kilometers south of Nevsky Prospect. Petrogradsky side island and Vasilevsky island can also be considered part of the center.
Golden Triangle and other High Demand Areas
If we look at the center in terms of regions, the area that is in highest demand is a place known as the Golden Triangle. This is a piece of land situated between the Fontanka River to the east, Nevsky Prospect to the south and the Neva River Embankment to the north. The area includes the Hermitage Museum, the Summer Gardens, Michaelovsky Palace, the Russian Museum, the Moika river, Canal Griboyedova and many other fascinating and beautiful historical sites and monuments. It is truly the heart of St. Petersburg. All the buildings are pre-revolutionary and many were built in the early 19th century and even the late 18th century.
The most prestigious streets in this area are as follows:
- Moika River Embankment
- Canal Griboyedova
- Millionaya ul.
- Italyanskaya ul.
- Karavanaya ul.
- Malaya Sadovaya
- Malaya Konyushenaya and a number of smaller side streets.
- Dvortsovaya Embankment
Besides being located on a beautiful street, prices depend on whether there is a view from the windows, with premium prices for views onto water, parks or historical monuments and usually lower prices for views onto courtyards or narrow side streets.
Other central areas that capture a premium price on the rental market in the city center are listed below:
- Tavrichesky Park area including Tarivcheskaya ul, Potemkinskaya ul and the sections of ul. Tshaikovskaya near the park.
- Furstadtskaya ul. - the street home to the German, Austrian and US Consulates
- Krestovsky Island - this is technically part of the Petrogradsky region. The island has an increasing number of luxury apartment buildings being constructed on it. A giant park makes up the majority of this island.
 Nice Residential Areas in the Center
There are a number of other areas in the center that are great places to live but have lower price tags than the areas mentioned above. A very nice residential area stretches between Mayakovskaya metro station on the south to Chernishevskaya metro in the north. The area is quiet, very residential, has a nice fresh food market and has fantastic buildings built before the revolution (mainly 19th century).
Some other areas south of the Neva River that are quite nice and a bit lower priced than the prestigious areas are the area immediately surrounding the Marinsky Theater and areas near St. Isaaks Square. The public transportation to these areas is not the best but the regions are full of beautiful buildings that really capture the heart and soul of St. Petersburg.
Vasilevsky Island
Peter the Great originally planned for Vasilevsky Island to be the center of the city. It is surrounded by the Neva river to the east, south and north and the Gulf of Finland no the west. St. Petersburg State University, the passenger sea port, the Kunst Kamera Anthropology Museum and other monuments are located on the island. About half of the island was built before the revolution and has many nice, old buildings on it. The other half was mainly built in the sixties and seventies and is made up of the usual, drab, Soviet residential architecture. The island has some nice streets - especially Bolshoy Prospect which has some truly amazing 19th century buildings on it and of course the University Embankment which has buildings looking out onto the river and the southern banks. Vasilevsky Island has the same problems with the bridges as Petrogradsky.
Petrogradsky Region
Petrogradsky is a very nice residential area with buildings built mainly in the mid to late 19th century. It is an island surrounded by the Neva River and home to the Peter and Paul Fortress - St. Petersburg's oldest structure. It is really one of my personal favorites. The apartment buildings on and right off of the main streets - Bolshoy Prospect and Kamenyostrovsky Prospect are really very nice and create a very European atmosphere. It has a number of convenient metro stations with some great residential areas surrounding them, namely Gorkovskaya and Petrogradsky metros. There is also a nice park surrounding the city zoo and the Peter and Paul Fortress. Prices here are up to 30% lower than on the mainland mainly due to the inconvenience of the bridges rising late at night - at around 1:00 AM and making the island not very accessible until the early morning. However, if you are not a late night person or do not often stay out later than 1:00, it is truly an excellent place to live.
|
|
|
|
 |
comfort 
