‘A very simple principle is applied in Innopolis: market minus 30% is equal to rent rate’
Having reduced the rent rates in the scientific city from 25,000 to 7-10,000 rubles per month, Roman Shaikhutdinov exploded the promised ‘housing bomb’
As Realnoe Vremya found out, a new housing programme started in Innopolis. The State Housing Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan is its operator: housing rent rates for IT workers literally dropped to the attractive 7-10,000 rubles. When the housing project of the scientific city started in 2014, the rent prices were from 15 to 23,000 rubles. As our newspaper knew, both very residents of Innopolis and the company participating in the realization of the project took part in such a big reduction in the rent rate.
'Rate decreased because of price reduction'
Realnoe Vremya talked to the Minister of Information and Communications of the Republic of Tatarstan Roman Shaikhutdinov with the intention of finding out the details of the new programme. Initially, the Minister reluctantly answered the questions about the reasons for the change of the rent rate.
'Yes, the rate decreased. It decreased because of price reduction,' Shaikhutdinov answered laconically.
It seems that Roman Shaikhutdinov accepted that he had to go into details and explained two key moments influenced the decrease. The first one is that the very residents and companies participating in the realization of the projects wanted it. The experience gained in a small tech park in Naberezhnye Chelny was the next factor. A so-called IT-house with 118 flats was put into operation aided by the President of the Republic of Tatarstan. Mainly residents from other cities live there. To tell the truth, peopling was scandalous.
'A very simple principle is applied there: the market minus 30% is equal to the rent rate. It covers the spending on maintenance, ownership and amortization. It is a price that allows not to be at a loss and at the same time enables to create favourable conditions to attract people. In Chelny, where we experienced it, the rate is also 7-10,000 rubles,' Shaikhutdinov explained.
'Society was glad about these tariffs'
The speaker specified that 850 flats in Innopolis will be rented in the new programme first, but in general, they number about 1,700. Over 250 flats have already been rented and housed, and 134 applications are prepared.
'Generally speaking, the work is in the process. And, the society, undoubtedly, was glad about these tariffs,' Roman Shaikhutdinov noted. 'But I should remind that it is necessary to be selected by a housing commission to be able to house. The commission defines that you are a real 'sectoral person'. The flats are fully furnished and ready for living, home improvement has been made too.
Shaikhutdinov also informed Realnoe Vremya that the State Housing Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan would be the operator of the new housing programme. By the way, the ministry is creating an information system for the operator, which is able to give a serious impetus to the development of housing rent in the republic.
Deluxe flats for 25,000 rubles per month
We should remind that the housing project of Innopolis started more than one year ago, when the State Housing Fund of the Republic of Tatarstan under the President of the Republic of Tatarstan signed an agreement with Territory GC on the sale of 16 apartment blocks built in the scientific city. The deal was one of the largest on real estate market – the Moscovites paid 2,8bn rubles for 50,000 square metres.
Flats in Innopolis are represented as deluxe apartments. A block has a medium number of storeys (five storeys, the first storey is occupied by non-residential facilities). The flats are furnished and completely renovated; there are home appliances.
Territory also presented its housing programme, according to which the price for the rent of a one-room flat was from 42,4 to 44,1 square metres in a building consisting of 20 flats was equal to 15,400-16,000 rubles. The rent of a 60 square metres flat is 20-25,000 rubles. And it was offered to expend a part of the sum – 20% – to a special account to accumulate the initial instalment, and the remaining part was proposed to be purchased after the formation of the initial instalment.
It is clear that there were many people who wished to rent a flat at these rates. In the end, an order of the President on the elaboration of a privileged rent for the residents of Innopolis appeared.
At the end of 2015, Shaikhutdinov promised a unique housing programme for Innopolis, which was approved by the head of the republic these days. 'It will be a bomb. I won't reveal the details, but it will be a good dwelling, accessible, a magnet for many people. Unfortunately, in Russia, the readiness of people to migrate is at 3,5%, while in the USA, it is 33%. In Germany, only 43% of people have their own houses, the rest rents a house all their life. In Russia, people have been living in one place for a long time since Ivan the Terrible's ruling, serfdom. All evil stems there,' Shaikhutdinov drew a parallel.