HSE Launches Two New Housing Service Programmes for First-year Students

The Student Housing Office will be launching two new housing service programmes for first-year students. Those who are unable to secure accommodation in HSE dormitories and want to rent will have the option of viewing prospective apartments remotely and receiving rent-related advice from HSE lawyers. Both programmes will become available during the 2022 admissions campaign.

What's New

In the last academic year, HSE launched a new housing programme for students in need of accommodation. Since 2021, guaranteed accommodation in HSE University's dormitories has been provided to bachelor’s and specialist’s students in state-funded places, and to certain student categories eligible to benefits.

Bachelor's students in fee-paying places and masters' students can opt for alternative non-dormitory accommodation.

More details on the available options are provided on the Student Housing Office’s website. Until September 1, 2022, the new options will be available to students enrolled in fee-paying places in 2022, and later these options will be extended to students in state-funded places as well.

The new housing support services will make it easier for first-year students unable to secure accommodation in HSE dormitories to find a rental apartment in Moscow. It will be possible to view a selected apartment or room remotely. Students and their parents will first need to select a room or apartment on a rental website and coordinate a time for viewing the property with the landlord. Then the student should log into their HSE account to submit an application and select an available time slot. At the specified time, a Student Housing Office manager will visit the apartment, inspect it to see if it matches the description in the ad, and send the applicant a video report. If the apartment is suitable, the student or their parents will then sign a rental contract with the landlord independently.

In addition to this, a Student Housing Office manager can be present at the signing of the rental contract. The manager will check the property inventory for accuracy, make sure that all equipment in the apartment is operational, and verify that the rental contract is consistent with the property ownership documentation (proof of title and an extract from the Property Register).

All Student Housing Office managers have experience as real estate agents and know which aspects to focus on when inspecting a rental property.

Please note that Student Housing Office managers will not negotiate rental terms or viewing times with the owner, nor do they provide apartment inspection reports. Also note that this service is only available for housing located within the Moscow Ring Road.

Dmitry Ryndin

Head, Student Housing Office

Russian and international students in need of accommodation do not always have the opportunity to select and view a rental apartment in advance to make sure it matches the description in the ad. We are creating this new programme for them. Student Housing Office staff will visit and view apartments pre-selected by students and take photos and videos of the property. This will allow future HSE students to see whether an apartment really matches the photos and description in the ad without physically travelling to view it.

It will also be possible to ask a Student Housing Office employee to attend and oversee the signing of the rental contract. The employee will review the documentation, verify all personal data (passport details, extract from the Property Register), and check the property inventory and the acceptance act for accuracy.

Finding one's first rental apartment and signing a rental agreement can be stressful. Due to lack of experience, a student may miss some inaccuracy in the property inventory or forget to check whether all equipment in the apartment is working properly. Our staff will help them avoid such problems.

A legal advice programme will also be launched; HSE lawyers will consult first-year students and their parents, check rental contracts and pinpoint any related risks. Students can submit an application for legal advice through their HSE account.

Aliya Ermakova

HSE Senior Director for Legal Affairs

Starting this year, students will have access to free legal support for renting apartments in Moscow and the surrounding metropolitan area.

The qualified lawyers at the HSE Legal Office will offer advice on legal matters related to signing, amending or terminating rental contracts, check the texts of rental contracts received from landlords and identify any risks involved, provide templates of rental contracts and other related documents, and make sure they are filled out correctly.

Legal advice will also be provided if students have a dispute with the landlord. We will draft memos and guides for students with answers to frequently asked questions.

This new programme can only provide legal advice on matters related to rental housing for students. This means that students will need to make their own decisions when selecting an apartment, entering into a rental contract, and agreeing to its commercial terms and conditions. They must independently sign all documents, negotiate, and make claims to the landlord if necessary. 

Our services will help avoid certain common problems people often face in the real estate rental market—eg agreeing to terms unfavourable to the tenant, such as a rent increase more than once a year, major repairs at the tenants' expense, or sharing the apartment with other tenants without prior consent.

Services provided by both new programmes will be free for first-year students and available to all students who have signed an education service agreement and made their first payment.

Both programmes will become operational on July 1, 2022. At first, they will only be available to students in fee-paying places, then to everyone after September 1.

HSE University's Other Offers

In addition to the new programmes outlined above, HSE University offers its students rental options from trusted partners in the rental housing market. Last year, rental accommodation was available to students in the Level Amurskaya residential complex from DOM.RF, the Sevastopol Hotel, and the Student Housing Centre in Burakova Street. Together, these facilities accommodate approximately one thousand first-year students.

In the new academic year, three new housing options will become available: YE'S Aparthotel, Colife, and  DOM.RF rental houses.

YE'S Aparthotel

Special discounts are available to HSE students: up to 10% on accommodation and up to 50% on the additional service package, plus the possibility to pay the security deposit in two instalments.

The aparthotel offers migration registration for international students on its website (available for all accommodation options). Temporary resident registration is now available for Russian students.

See the current rental rates on the YE'S Aparthotel Botanica website.

Students who do not require temporary residence registration can sign a rental contract with the YE'S Aparthotel at the rates indicated on the company's website for any period starting from one night.

Colife

Last year, more than 120 HSE students were accommodated as part of a pilot cooperation model between HSE University and Colife.

In the new academic year, housing will be available to students not only in Colife's Moscow apartments (residence registration is not available), but also in the new, fully equipped co-living building near Baumanskaya/Lefortovo metro station (where residence registration is possible).

DOM.RF

HSE University and DOM.RF have an agreement to accommodate students in the company's rental houses. For details on accommodation options and locations, see the Student Housing Office website. 

May 27, 2022