How to get an apartment in Moscow: quick ways, tips and tricks

October 25, 2018
Housing law
Elena Spi

How to get an apartment in Moscow? This is a question that interests everyone, from the indigenous population to the periphery. Those who set out to conquer the capital often imagined a beautiful life with an oligarch, a prestigious job, a good position and a decent salary. However, even the simplest residents of the metropolis cannot afford the luxury of a one-room apartment on Tverskaya or outside the Moscow Ring Road. Another need arises - to rely on the state. It's long, but reliable. Are there other ways to speed up the process of realizing a long-time dream?

Freebie, sir! Apartment in the center or inheritance with debts?

There is a category of citizens who dream of inheriting living space from relatives, but this process is fraught with hopelessness - the death of a loved one. In any case, this method cannot be called a quick one, and it is not a strategy at all. The other 9 methods are open to those who have no money at all, and 3 more are suitable for those who have saved at least a little for separate housing.

If waiting for the terrible news about the death of a loved one does not suit you, try tightening your belt throughout your life - you will save up enough money to make a down payment on an apartment. For the remaining 30 years you will be paying off the loan.
Mortgage - who isn’t scared by it? How to get an apartment in Moscow if this is the only option and your income allows it? The main thing is stability, and in Russia this will never happen, or rather good stability.
Borrow from friends, ask from your parents - they have savings, and it’s good if they give it to you without interest to create your nest.

And not all of these methods end well - a few achieve their goal, but continue to work on repairs, furniture and the necessities of life. By the way, workers in the North are well paid; income can cover the monthly cost of a mortgage loan. If you are a technologist, a pilot, or have relatives in a large company, try your luck. Those who really have nowhere to go can explore other ways to quickly get an apartment in the capital.

Conditional low-income - housing for the unemployed and large families

You think it’s unfair to give an apartment to people who don’t work but can afford several children. We are not really talking about such families. The Russian state identifies several social strata of the population that can qualify for free housing. They have always been written about in the housing codes of the Russian Federation, and the present time is no exception or a relic of the past. Gone are the days when there were queues for apartments; there is no longer the Soviet Union, the totalitarian system and bureaucracy in open manifestation.

There are still housing queues to receive a free apartment from the state. The average waiting period is 10 years. Low-income families can apply for apartments under special programs. If you have lost your breadwinner or there were military personnel in the family, you are a priority.

Next, we will find out how to get an apartment in Moscow for those who belong to each category of citizens of the Russian Federation.

Help for low-income families

People who cannot buy an apartment on their own have the opportunity to get one from the state. Such citizens make up 90% of all residents of Russia, so a condition was added - the salary and income of family members must be less than the subsistence level. According to statistics, this figure is 10-12 thousand rubles. In addition, the consumer basket must also meet minimum requirements - you cannot afford delicacies, trips to cafes, food of the gods.

You cannot apply for an apartment unless you prove your position.
You cannot improve your financial situation during the entire period while you are standing in line.
If you start earning money, then officials will cross you off the list of beneficiaries, believing that you will succeed in achieving your dream.

Also, you cannot live with relatives in mansions in the center of Moscow on a small salary. You should have a tiny space without room dividers. Otherwise, you are considered the owner of a multi-room apartment with good conditions.

According to statistics, every second person in towns, villages and small towns lives as stated in the social program. However, there is enough money for food. Comparing the incomes of metropolitan citizens, if you live on the salaries of rural residents in Moscow, you can give a person a bonus and lay flowers at his feet for an extreme method of survival.

How to get an apartment for a large family in Moscow: surviving with children

Most often, parents raise the issue of the welfare and provision of their children. Since the social unit of society is capable of thinking about the future and planning the birth of a child, only those families that “accidentally” find themselves in a difficult situation fall under the large family category. The state motivates women to continue their family and population, promotes the birth of a second and third child, and participates in financing up to school. Maternity capital, mortgages for young families, and other benefits are not getting housing, but an opportunity to improve your situation.

If this is not enough, the wife cannot cope with three children, the husband does not earn enough, and a unit of society is recognized as needy. How will Moscow's large families get apartments if they apply for housing?

The family registers with a specialized center.
Adults' incomes are verified.
Housing is subject to quality of life inspection.
A package of documents is collected, which proves that the husband can no longer provide for the family, or he abandoned the children and does not pay alimony.

If a woman lives with children in the suburbs, in another city, she also has the right to get an apartment in Moscow. How to do this is to prove that you cannot live with young children under the age of 7 on maternity and pregnancy benefits, maternity capital or alimony.

The essence of the “Young Family” mortgage program

“Young Family” is a special state support program approved by the current Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation for the period from 2015 to 2027 with the aim of providing living space for young families from the low-income category who are unable to purchase real estate for cash. The main goal is to subsidize part of the costs of purchasing an apartment or house.

Additional goals of the state program:

Increasing volumes of housing construction in different regions of the Russian Federation.
Reduced prices per m2.
Increased chances of purchasing your own home for newlyweds.

To purchase your own home, a preferential mortgage is offered for a young family with part of the costs subsidized by the state. Families who meet certain criteria can take advantage of these offers.

Mortgage with state support for families with children Raiffeisenbank, Lit. No. 3292

from 5.49%

per annum

up to 12 million

up to 30 years old

Get a loan

The basis for receiving government assistance for the purchase of housing is the family’s need to improve housing conditions. If a husband or wife owns residential property, they will not be eligible for the federal program.

Conditions for participants:

The family must document the need for improved living conditions.
Spouses must be citizens of the Russian Federation.
Age – not older than 35 years for the wife and husband at the time of applying for a mortgage loan.
A second or subsequent child was born in the family from January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2022.
Single-parent families where one of the spouses is raising a child who is also a citizen of the country are also eligible to participate in the program.

Mortgages for the purchase of real estate are issued to citizens who have a regular income sufficient to repay the debt under the mortgage agreement.

Beneficiaries who may qualify for assistance

There are certain categories of beneficiaries who can receive housing that is not completely free. This does not include large families from Moscow. Orphans who are left without parents, in the care of guardians or relatives, and people from boarding schools will receive apartments. If, after graduating from boarding school, a child has nowhere to go and his parents did not have an apartment, he has the right to receive one from the state. However, many minors reserve the right to return to their parents' home until their 18th birthday.

Also, the category of WWII veterans has not disappeared from the Housing Code, although there are not many of them left. Relatives can inherit the apartment. Otherwise, when there are no heirs, the housing becomes escheat. Subsequently, the apartment and housing of the same veterans becomes the property of the state. Then it is distributed among those who are in line.
Liquidators of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. There are even fewer residents than beneficiaries of the Second World War. There are even fewer people who have not yet received an apartment.
Is it possible for military personnel to get an apartment in Moscow? Surely they have the right. Only the provision of housing applies to that group of citizens who live in military units and closed cities, such as Polyarny.

There are also ways to get an apartment in Moscow from the state that apply to ordinary people.

Who is entitled to apartments from the state and how to get them?

Let's move on to 5 ways to get an apartment and who you need to be:

Poor people. People who do not own anything have the right to get housing. But it is worth knowing that a low-income person and family are those who have a monthly income less than the subsistence level. But this is not the only criterion that evaluates your status. There are a large number of them, and they vary depending on the situation and the person. A poor person must provide all the documents that he does not have a penny to his name, namely: the status of a low-income family, citizenship certificates, monthly income, personal account, paper on the availability of taxable property.
Be a veteran. The state provides veterans with housing without a queue, in their personal queue. People who went through the war, do not have their own housing, or their apartment is in disrepair, can count on help from the country. The municipality issues apartments within 1 year after receiving an application, but as practice shows, not everything is always so fast.
The large family. Families with 3 or more children are considered large. But do not forget that if you have 3 children and one of them is already 19 years old, then you cannot count on the status of having many children, which means that there is no way to get an apartment. It is mandatory to provide: a certificate of large families, a certificate of family composition, all documents of children and adults, a certificate of parents’ income for the last six months.
Orphans. Children raised in orphanages who do not have property get on the waiting list from 18 to 23 years of age. Moreover, being an orphan, you can get not just housing, but a certificate. It is the certificate that is issued automatically when children are released from orphanages. They can spend the money from the certificate on any real estate.
Residents of emergency buildings. There are a huge number of houses in Russia in which it has long been impossible to live. But people can’t do anything about it; there is an option to get new housing completely free of charge. The area of the housing you receive will be no less than the area of the former apartment. The main thing is to collect a package of documents and get an expert assessment that your apartment is not suitable for further residence.

There are ways, there are enough of them. But you have to be somebody to get something. Or vice versa, have nothing. Neither the first option nor the second are particularly pleasant for self-esteem. Nevertheless, it is possible to get an apartment from the state, and if there are circumstances, it is necessary. Don’t miss your chance, or better yet, develop yourself and buy decent housing yourself!

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Profession as a basis for obtaining housing in the capital

By choosing the right rare profession, you can improve your situation. This includes units such as:

military pilots;
military ground forces;
navy employees.

This category of citizens knows how to get a social apartment in Moscow. Moreover, before employment and obtaining a position, a person must graduate from an educational institution in the capital. It doesn’t matter whether he studies part-time or full-time, in a budget or contract stream. After working for several years without complaints, he is provided with social housing for 1 person. When a man gets married and starts a family, the apartment changes to a larger one. In addition, preference is given to those who are already married and planning to have a second child. Over the next 5-10 years, housing will also expand and become a property.

Government positions: apartment judge, prosecutor, policeman

Official housing is provided free of charge to those who have served 20 years in the structures of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. How to quickly get an apartment if you are a novice investigator?

You can apply for any apartment from the state. Everyone is equal here: it doesn’t matter whether you have a family and children, education or inheritance from relatives.
To register for housing immediately, you need to stand in line.
You can get square meters only after a few years.

There are also special conditions: police officers must serve 5-10 years and have several awards for their service. The prosecutor cannot own any other housing if he is applying for assistance from the state. Judges must also dismiss several cases to prove their importance to the country. Now you know how to get an apartment in Moscow from the state and be useful to the country.

Free apartments in Russia

If previously all military personnel, doctors, teachers, scientists, and young professionals received personal property, then over time, the process of issuing free apartments became unprofitable for the state. Moreover, in Russia, the sale and construction of residential complexes are carried out by private companies, which only pay taxes to the state and buy/rent land for construction. But, in general, the state has nothing to do with newly built residential complexes from private individuals, which means it cannot always provide apartments to those in need.

Also, the receiving process was much simpler. It was enough to stand in line, namely to register with the district executive committee or at your enterprise, and then wait. But not everyone could get on the waiting list, but people: those living in 6 m2 per person. Therefore, there were cases when families lived in 25 square meters and definitely could not qualify for housing; they gave birth to another baby, just to be on the coveted list. The deadlines were not set precisely, and ranged from 10 to 20 years; during this period it was possible to snatch a new apartment.

Wealthier citizens paid bribes to get housing as quickly as possible. Thus, they were included in the first rows of the lists, which means that getting an apartment in the near future was an urgent matter for corrupt officials.

How is it in Russia now?

In 1991, when the USSR broke up into separate countries, the process of formation of Russia was just beginning, many could have forgotten about the accepted procedure for issuing housing. Over time, the free receipt of apartments, for a certain period, stopped altogether. And then Article No. 40 was published in the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Theoretically, thanks to her, it was possible to get the premises for free. Or for the minimum available fee. But at the same time, it will be issued only to those on the waiting list under a social tenancy agreement. Also, he, as an applicant, must be low-income, or a person who needs improved housing conditions. All this is recorded through documentation, inspections and official confirmations.

According to statistics on housing delivery, many people have been waiting ever since 1995, when Article No. 40 was published. In general, the list includes 69,000 families on the waiting list, and in 2021 Russia issued apartments to only 3,600 families. So, this option can be considered a losing one, although the attempt is not torture. If you realistically estimate that you won’t be able to save money for housing on your own, then try your luck. In general, there are several other practical ways that, with an additional payment, will increase the chance of getting an apartment for free or much cheaper. The main thing to remember is that if you succeed in this, then it will be impossible to sell, rent out, or re-register the apartment from the state. Only if you privatize it immediately after receiving it. Privatization is excluded for orphans; they can go through the process only 5 years after issuance.

Free property maintained by the government

First, housing becomes social: employees of the Ministry of Internal Affairs receive apartments, then they become property. When you retire, you pay for it yourself. In order for it to be paid for and maintained entirely by the state, you need to be an intelligence officer or a security officer. The work involves special conditions where life is always at risk. Heavy positions allow a person to always count on free accommodation in a social apartment, since the citizen spends all the time in the service.

However, in order to privatize housing after decades, you must have an impeccable track record. Mistakes, mistakes in work, and vain expectations of rewards are unacceptable. Only in this case will the Government of the Russian Federation fully provide for you.

Merit to the Fatherland - the path to a free apartment

If you commit an act that the whole country will know about, you can safely apply for an apartment out of turn. This includes such categories of citizens as:

Athletes. Victory in the Olympic Games, championships at the World Championships, interesting goals that will go down in history - this is what the country loves. For bread and spectacle, you can get your piece of a well-deserved loaf.
Heroes who saved people in terrorist attacks and caught robbers. Such actions are rewarded with an apartment from a sponsor or the state.

You can receive a cash reward. Housing is also donated by the governments of the CIS countries - Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus. For example, boxer Evgeniy Tishchenko was awarded valuable prizes and apartments from different countries for his victories in competitions. As easy as getting an apartment in Moscow for a young family, young athletes can become owners of real estate. They are entitled to financial assistance in their endeavors for services to the Fatherland.

How to participate in the program

To receive a subsidy, you must provide the following package of documents to local governments:

application for participation in the program;
copies of spouses' passports;
copies of children's birth certificates (if any);
a copy of the marriage registration certificate (for two-parent families);
confirmation of savings and income;
SNILS numbers;
2-NDFL certificates;
work books or extracts from the employment order;
confirmation of the solvency of the spouses;
confirmation of the need for housing;
information about credit history (if available);
extract from the house register.

If a young family plans to spend the subsidy on an existing mortgage, additional information will be needed:

a copy of the loan agreement;
an extract from the Unified State Register for an apartment or a contract for a house;
certificate of debt balance.

Fill out the documents carefully and check the validity periods of all certificates.

The application is submitted to the local executive authority. The administration checks the documents within 10 days, after which it makes a decision on the subsidy. If it is positive, the young family is added to the list to receive financial assistance. When it’s their turn, the spouses receive a certificate for a government subsidy. After this, the family can contact the bank to apply for a loan.

Important ! The certificate is provided to a young family only once and cannot be exchanged or resold.

New citizens - new free life

We will talk about refugees and foreign citizens who have received Russian citizenship. They must be either famous, like Gerard Depardieu, or useful to society, like secret agents of rival countries. Athletes who decide to compete under the flag of the Russian Federation and unique foreign specialists will also receive housing.

Women who are ready to give birth for the sake of maternal capital can also improve their financial and housing situation. The main thing is to invest money in buying or building a house. The state will eventually help in repaying the mortgage - 70% will be paid for the birth of 4 children, the full cost - for 5 or more. This program is directly related to maternity capital - the amount can be counted on for every family under 35 years of age that has already grown to have many children.

In this case, income is not important. You take out a loan for housing and pay part of the funds. You can pay off the debt ahead of schedule, but this will not change the value of the property.
When building a house, you can take out a loan, and the state will help pay it off at the estimated cost. The Russian government has introduced a new reform, according to which young families can count on state money.
If there is housing, but each family member has less than 10 square meters, count on changing real estate.
Emergency housing must be completely replaced. In a building under construction, the developer selects a decent apartment, taking into account the number of people. The new building, after commissioning, will become a new home for the family.
If as a result of an explosion or loss of shelter you are left homeless, the state will take care of you.

Also, a family has the right to receive a subsidy for an apartment in Moscow if there is a sick child in the house with cerebral palsy, gangrene, paralysis or schizophrenia. The government thereby helps parents ensure sufficient space to care for their child. Parents must provide documents, hospital extracts, bills from clinics that issue them for treatment. If a mother or father has opened an account in a social fund to receive financial assistance, this will only be confirmation that they really need financing.

You can also participate in the renovation program. If you have long dreamed of a new home, you can exchange your old property for a new one. Of course, there are rules - the house must be on the list for demolition. Apartments in new buildings have become more spacious and brighter. The rooms are the same in size, but the kitchens and bathrooms are larger. An apartment in Moscow received as a result of renovation will be the property of the owner of the property located in the building to be demolished. If a five-story building is declared unsafe, all residents will be given apartments to replace their previous ones. In what years do people receive apartments in Moscow under this program? At the moment, the state plans to complete the project by 2021. Residents vote every day, and votes are counted and verified quarterly.

Requirements for borrowers

Standard points for obtaining a loan:

Officially registered marriage. Only married couples can participate in the program; living together in the same territory without a stamp in the passport does not give the right to apply. The presence or absence of children does not matter, but does affect the size of the subsidy.
Single-parent family. A parent who is raising a child alone can apply to participate. This could be either the mother or the father.
The age of each spouse must not exceed 35 years. If, while waiting for a subsidy, one of them turns 36 years old, the family is removed from the queue. To increase your chances of receiving money, you should not delay submitting your application: you can wait several years.
Proof of official income or savings. To receive a subsidy, you must provide documents that guarantee the family has the funds to repay the loan or pay the balance. Proof can be a salary certificate or a statement of savings.
The need to improve living conditions. Only those families who really need it receive subsidies. Having your own apartment or living in a large house with your parents does not qualify you for participation in the program.

To apply, the family must contact the local administration. The executive body must confirm that the family needs improved living conditions. These include not having your own home, living in a dilapidated house or in an area that does not meet registration standards. They are set by the municipality and may vary depending on the locality.

Important ! Each region of the Russian Federation has its own rules for determining the need to improve housing conditions. You can find out the exact information at the MFC, social security or administration.