The asset itself: words that describe what you are buying
Russian law distinguishes property by legal regime, not by marketing language. A квартира (kvartira, flat) is residential premises with a residential registration address. Апартаменты (apartamenty) are usually нежилые помещения (nezhilye pomeshcheniya, non-residential premises) in a building that looks residential: no permanent registration, different utility tariffs, different property tax treatment. The word sounds like a flat and behaves like an office.
At the top level you will see жилая недвижимость (residential) and нежилая (non-residential), then помещение (premises), здание (building), сооружение (structure), and земельный участок (land plot). A строительный объект under construction is an объект незавершённого строительства, and buying into one normally runs through a договор долевого участия (DDU), an equity participation agreement, with the money held in an эскроу (escrow) account.
- недвижимость (nedvizhimost) - real estate, immovable property
- жилое / нежилое помещение - residential / non-residential premises
- квартира, апартаменты, дом, таунхаус - flat, apartment-style non-residential unit, house, townhouse
- земельный участок - land plot; площадь - area; этаж - floor; кадастровый номер - cadastral number
- новостройка - new build; вторичка (colloquial) - secondary market stock
Ownership and title: the words that decide whether the deal is real
The single most important document in any Russian property transaction is the выписка из ЕГРН (vypiska iz EGRN), an extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate. It names the правообладатель (right holder), the вид права (form of right), typically собственность (ownership) or аренда (lease), and any обременение (encumbrance). If someone tells you the extract is 'not needed yet', the conversation is over.
Encumbrances have their own vocabulary: залог (pledge in favour of a bank), арест (seizure by a bailiff or court), сервитут (servitude or right of way), аренда (a registered lease that survives a sale). Долевая собственность (shared ownership) means the object has several owners and you will need every one of them to sign, or a court-approved allocation of доли (shares).
Cadastral value, кадастровая стоимость, is a state-assessed figure that often forms the base for property tax. It can differ sharply from market price, which is why an independent оценка (valuation) is a separate exercise.
- ЕГРН extract - register of rights; the authoritative proof of who owns what
- Росреестр - the registration service where title transfers are recorded
- договор купли-продажи (ДКП) - sale and purchase agreement
- обременение, залог, арест, сервитут - encumbrance, pledge, seizure, servitude
- кадастровая стоимость - cadastral value used for tax purposes
Transaction vocabulary: who gets the money, when and through whom
Russian deal language is precise about the deposit. Аванс (avans) is a preliminary payment that is normally returned if the deal collapses. Задаток (zadatok) is a security deposit with legal consequences: if the buyer walks, it can be lost; if the seller walks, it is typically returned in double. The word you sign matters more than the amount.
Settlement routes have names: аккредитив (letter of credit), эскроу (escrow), аренда банковской ячейки (safe deposit box), and simply безналичный расчёт (bank transfer). For a foreign buyer the practical question is which bank, in which currency, and under which compliance regime - which is why independent compliance advice is needed before signing, not after.
Registration of the transfer is done by Росреестр, usually through a multifunctional centre (МФЦ). Since 2025 there is no paper ownership certificate; the ЕГРН record is the title.
- аванс vs задаток - refundable advance vs binding deposit
- аккредитив, эскроу, банковская ячейка - letter of credit, escrow, safe deposit box
- уступка права требования (цессия) - assignment of a claim, common when reselling a DDU contract
- нотариальное удостоверение - notarial certification, required in certain share and minor-owner cases
- доверенность - power of attorney; check whether it is notarised and its exact scope
Lease language: аренда, найм and the money around them
Commercial space is leased under аренда; a residential flat is usually let under договор найма. Арендодатель is the landlord, арендатор the tenant, and субаренда (sublease) normally requires the landlord's written consent. For offices you will also meet эксплуатационные расходы (operating or service charges) and коммунальные платежи (utilities), which may sit inside or outside the headline rate.
Two clauses deserve attention in Russian leases: индексация (indexation), which can be tied to the Bank of Russia key rate - 14% as of September 2026 - and обеспечительный платёж (security deposit), which is not automatically the same as the last month's rent. Moscow office vacancy stood at 7.6% in Q2 2026, so in the office segment there is room to negotiate terms rather than accept the first draft.
- аренда / найм - commercial lease / residential tenancy
- арендодатель, арендатор, субарендатор - landlord, tenant, subtenant
- эксплуатационные расходы, коммунальные платежи - service charges, utilities
- обеспечительный платёж - security deposit; индексация - indexation clause
- безотзывная оферта - irrevocable offer, sometimes requested from landlords
Land categories and permitted use: the terms that block projects
A Russian land plot has a категория земель (land category) and a вид разрешённого использования (ВРИ, permitted use). You cannot build a warehouse on a plot zoned for individual housing, and you cannot simply decide to change the category yourself. ИЖС (individual housing construction), СНТ (garden association), ЛПХ (personal subsidiary plot) and земли сельскохозяйственного назначения (agricultural land) are the labels you will see in listings.
This is where foreign ownership restricts hard. Foreigners cannot own agricultural land: it can only be leased, with a lease term of up to 49 years. Border areas, including Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk, are closed to foreign land ownership. Investors from countries designated unfriendly face special account regimes and government approvals, and strategic sectors require approval under Law 57-FZ.
- категория земель - land category; ВРИ - permitted use
- ИЖС, СНТ, ЛПХ - the three most common non-commercial plot types
- земли сельскохозяйственного назначения - agricultural land: lease only for foreigners, up to 49 years
- перевод земель / изменение ВРИ - reclassification and change of permitted use
- border and resort areas closed to foreign land ownership include Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik, Novorossiysk
Taxes and fees: the words on the bill
Property taxes arrive as налог на имущество (property tax), земельный налог (land tax) for plot owners, and налог на прибыль (corporate profit tax) at 25%, with 0-5% rates in certain special regimes. VAT is 22% at the standard rate from 1 January 2026. Whether a given lease or asset management structure triggers VAT is a structuring question for your tax adviser, not a footnote.
Госпошлина is the state fee for registering a right; it is small relative to the asset but it is the step that makes the right legally exist. НДФЛ is personal income tax, relevant if you sell or receive rental income personally. Rates and thresholds change, so treat every figure here as a starting point that must be verified.
- налог на имущество / земельный налог - property tax / land tax
- налог на прибыль - profit tax, 25% standard, 0-5% in special regimes (2025)
- НДС - VAT, standard rate 22% since 1 January 2026
- госпошлина - state registration fee; НДФЛ - personal income tax
- кадастровая стоимость often drives the tax base, not the price you paid
A short working phrasebook for site visits and calls
You do not need fluent Russian to read a deal, but you do need to recognise about thirty words live, in a meeting, without a dictionary. The list below covers most of what is said during a showing or a first call with a broker, a seller or a landlord.
Two rules of thumb. First, always ask for the ЕГРН extract and compare the правообладатель with the person in front of you. Second, ask directly whether there are обременения, and ask for the answer in writing, in the contract. Verbal reassurance has no legal effect in Russia and no legal effect anywhere else.
- собственник - owner; агент, риелтор - agent, broker; застройщик - developer
- торг возможен - negotiation is possible; показ - viewing; площадь - area
- без обременений - free of encumbrances; с обременением - encumbered
- коммуналка (colloquial) - utilities; документы готовы - documents are ready
- нужна выписка ЕГРН - the EGRN extract is required
FAQ
What is the Russian word for real estate?
Недвижимость (nedvizhimost), literally immovable property. In contracts you will more often see the specific object named: квартира, помещение, здание, земельный участок. The umbrella term appears in law and in listings, not usually in the operative clauses.
What is the difference between квартира and апартаменты?
A квартира is residential premises with a residential address and registration. Апартаменты are usually legally non-residential premises in a building marketed as residential, which affects registration, utility tariffs, property tax and sometimes mortgage eligibility. Read the назначение (designation) line in the ЕГРН extract before assuming anything.
What do аванс and задаток mean in a Russian property deal?
Аванс is a preliminary payment generally returned if the deal does not complete. Задаток is a binding deposit with legal consequences: the buyer may lose it if they withdraw, and the seller may have to return double if they do. The word in the agreement determines the outcome, so have it reviewed before payment.
Can a foreigner buy property in Russia?
Foreigners can generally own buildings and non-agricultural land, but not agricultural land, which can only be leased for up to 49 years. Border areas including Sochi, Anapa, Gelendzhik and Novorossiysk are closed to foreign land ownership. Investors from countries designated unfriendly face special account regimes and government approvals, and strategic sectors require approval under Law 57-FZ. Independent legal and compliance advice is essential before any commitment.
Which document proves ownership in Russia today?
The выписка из ЕГРН, the extract from the Unified State Register of Real Estate. Paper ownership certificates were phased out; the register entry is the title. Always obtain a current extract and check the right holder and any encumbrances.
Information on this website is not an offer or an individual investment recommendation. Investing involves risk, including the loss of all invested capital. Investing via investment platforms is high-risk and may result in the loss of the entire investment. Figures are sourced from third parties and dated. Investors must comply with the laws of their jurisdiction.