"Slavs Only": Discriminatory Rental Ads Persist

According to the independent outlet Replika, rental ads stating "Slavs only" or "Russians only" remain a visible part of Russia’s housing market despite a formal ban on discrimination.

The publication analyzed rental listings in 30 of Russia’s largest cities to determine where xenophobic requirements appear most often, how they are framed in practice, and why discrimination continues in the housing sector.

While Russian law formally prohibits discrimination, it does not include provisions that explicitly ban discrimination in the real estate market. There are also no legal requirements obligating listing platforms to moderate or remove advertisements that are xenophobic.

Some platforms have taken action independently. In February 2022, the apartment search service CIAN banned listings containing language that directly or indirectly discriminates on the basis of racial or ethnic grounds. 

However, Replika reported that discriminatory practices have largely shifted to phone screenings conducted by landlords.

Xenophobic ads continue to appear on Avito, Russia’s largest online classifieds platform. Avito’s rules do not explicitly prohibit such listings, stating only that users must comply with Russian law and bear responsibility for violations.

An analysis of Avito listings in 30 major cities found the highest share of discriminatory rental ads in Volgograd, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, and Voronezh. In each of these cities, more than 7% of rental listings specified tenants must be "Slavs" or "Russians."

Notably, the Irkutsk Oblast is home to several indigenous peoples, including Buryats, Evenks, and Tofalars. In Novosibirsk, Replika identified a listing that imposed what it described as an "ethnicity tax": the apartment was offered to Russians for R28,000 for a month (about $350), while "non-Russian staff" were charged twice as much.

Russia’s two largest cities ranked in the middle of the list. St. Petersburg placed 10th, with 4.91% discriminatory listings, while Moscow ranked 19th, with 2.98%.

A significant gap was observed in Russia’s Far East. In Khabarovsk, 4.79% of rental listings contained discriminatory language, compared with just 0.66% in Vladivostok.

The lowest number of discriminatory listings was found in the capitals of Russia’s national republics. In Izhevsk, fewer than 2% of listings included such restrictions. In Kazan and Ufa, ads stating “Slavs only” were rare, though some specified tenants must be "Russian, Tatar, or Bashkir." In Makhachkala, Replika found no discriminatory rental listings at all.

Landlords told Replika they justify nationality-based restrictions by citing fears for the safety of their property and negative experiences with previous non-Russian tenants. Some also pointed to personal conflicts, including disputes with Muslim neighbors or with what they described as "guests from neighboring countries."

A real estate agent identified as Alexander from Khabarovsk told Replika that the phrase "Slavs only" often reflects ignorance rather than xenophobia. He said landlords typically mean Russian citizenship, not ethnicity, and are primarily concerned about avoiding documentation problems. Renting to foreign nationals, he said, is complicated by strict migration regulations.

Nevertheless, Replika found listings in which landlords explicitly refused to rent to Russian citizens from southern regions of the country. The outlet also reported the case of a Russian citizen of Korean descent who said he struggled to find housing despite holding a Russian passport.

Indigenous Russians also report difficulties. Dasha, a Buryat woman who moved to Moscow after finishing school, told Replika she initially avoided posting her photo on rental websites and tried to search for apartments with Slavic-looking friends. She often rented in neighborhoods where police conducted frequent anti-migrant raids and said she was repeatedly stopped for document checks.

In rare cases, Russian authorities have penalized such discrimination. In 2025, a Moscow court ordered access to three discriminatory Avito listings to be restricted. But Alexander Verkhovsky, head of the SOVA Center, said the measures are insufficient.

To effect change, he said, authorities must fine platforms that allow discriminatory ads and adopt comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation.

Verkhovsky expressed skepticism that such reforms will occur soon. He said President Vladimir Putin has not taken a clear stance on xenophobia or anti-migrant sentiment, while institutions such as the Presidential Human Rights Council, which are expected to promote anti-discrimination policies, have instead supported restrictive migration measures.