Constitutional Court Allows Registration in Apartments
Apartment owners can now register themselves and family members for temporary residence. The ruling was issued by Russia's Constitutional Court on February 3.
Apr 22, 2026 0
On February 3, the Constitutional Court of Russia ruled that owners of apartments are entitled to register themselves and close relatives for temporary residence in those premises.
Legally, apartments are classified as non-residential premises, but they are often used for living. Previously, obtaining a hotel status was required for registration, which created obstacles.
The impetus for the appeal to the highest court was the case of Victoria Piunova, the wife of Andrei Chernyshov, who purchased an apartment in the residential complex «ArtLine in Primorsky» in St. Petersburg. The police refused her registration, not recognizing the premises as residential.
The court concluded that the restrictions violate constitutional rights to free choice of place of residence and private property rights. Apartments objectively meet personal, family, and household needs.
The Constitutional Court recognized the disputed legal norms as contradicting the Constitution and ordered the Russian Government and parliamentarians to make changes. Since the ruling was announced, owners are guaranteed the right to obtain temporary registration.
However, permanent registration (by place of residence) in apartments remains impossible, as they retain their status as non-residential premises.
Almost half of all apart-hotels in Russia are concentrated in St. Petersburg: 62 complexes with 9,100 rooms operate there. Nationwide, apart-hotels account for about 47,000 rooms, constituting roughly 13% of the total hotel stock.
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