It's not just about the price. Insights reveal how Russians select apartments for short-term rentals.

Last year, interest in short-term apartment rentals in Russia saw a significant increase. It would be more accurate to say it skyrocketed: in some regions, daily rentals became 2-3 times more frequent! Experts assert that there is nothing unusual about this trend. Domestic tourism is actively developing, many Russians prefer to travel with their families, and hotel prices have noticeably risen — not to mention that finding rooms for parents and three children can be a challenge. As a result, travelers are increasingly booking apartments.

What criteria do our people use when selecting accommodation for a few days? Clearly, the majority first consider the rental cost. However, this is far from being the only criterion. The real estate service Domklik from Sber shared insights on all the important factors for tourists.

Its analysts surveyed more than a thousand people and identified key non-price factors influencing the choice of an apartment for short-term rental. It turned out that our people prefer to enjoy comfort while on vacation, but without excessive luxury.

CLOSE AND CONVENIENT

So, the top spot among the most important non-price criteria for choosing short-term rental accommodation was taken by transport accessibility — nearly 70% of respondents voted for it.

Renters primarily look for proximity to public transport stops, the metro, and the ability to reach them on foot.

The second most important parameter was infrastructure. 49% of respondents indicated that the presence of shopping centers, stores, pharmacies, and cultural and recreational institutions nearby is essential.

In third place was the availability of necessary household appliances, starting from the essential refrigerator and washing machine to a toaster. This was highlighted by 46% of those surveyed. The reasoning of renters is quite understandable: regardless of whether people rent accommodation for leisure or business trips, they want to spend less time on commuting and household issues, and more on themselves and their loved ones.

Important, but not critical factors in choosing short-term accommodation included the location of the apartment in a historic or tourist area, as well as high ratings and reviews from others.

Infographic: Domklik

Among the factors that potential renters view positively but do not consider critically significant are the size of the apartment and the number of rooms (24% of votes). Additionally, whether the apartment has designer renovations or a "Smart Home" system is not particularly important to vacationers and business travelers. These "features" garnered 14% and 3% of votes, respectively.

— Short-term rentals are a rapidly developing segment of the travel industry. In the face of increasing competition, it is crucial for landlords to consider factors, including non-price ones, that influence the choices of potential guests, say analysts from Domklik.

WHERE PEOPLE GO FOR A NIGHT OR TWO

Traditionally, the highest demand for short-term rentals is in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Kazan — these cities are the main tourist centers of the country and are popular year-round. Additionally, they host leading domestic universities, ensuring a steady influx of renters at the start of the academic year.

Infographic: Domklik

However, this does not imply that landlords in other cities have no opportunities or customers. Far from it. Analysts from Domklik identified cities with growth potential for property owners, in simpler terms, where renting out an apartment short-term is a good and profitable idea. To compile this list, analysts examined the share of listings posted on Domklik24 as well as the booking share. They calculated which regions have much higher booking rates than rental listings, indicating that the market is far from saturation.

It was found that Nizhny Novgorod, Kislovodsk, and Rostov-on-Don rank among the top 10 cities for the share of rental bookings, with no shortage of people wanting to visit. However, in terms of the share of posted listings, these cities fall outside the top ten, meaning landlords can be more proactive, as there will be demand. For instance, Kazan ranks third in booking share at 7.7%, but in the share of posted listings, the capital of Tatarstan is sixth with a share of 3.3%. This indicates that the demand for short-term rentals in this region exceeds the supply.

Infographic: Domklik

Experts believe that today, short-term rental properties represent the most dynamically developing segment of the market. An increasing number of owners, observing the rising demand and prices, plan to shift from long-term rentals to short-term ones. To do this, it is important to understand trends and stay updated on the news.

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