Still looking for apartment rentals ads on bulletin boards and antediluvian sites? We will tell you where to rent inexpensive and beautiful housing in St. Petersburg safely and without intermediaries. As former Petersburgers and those who have filled a lot of big shots in battles with Petersburg apartment swindlers, we have a story to tell you!
Where is it safe to rent an apartment in St. Petersburg
We advise you to rent only on reliable sites like Airbnb and Sutochno.ru. There are many other services on the Internet, the same giant Avito and the like, but they do not give any guarantees, and there you can easily run into scammers! We got in St. Petersburg like that twice: these were very unpleasant stories, we lost a lot of nerves and a lot of money, we went through all the circles of the hell of the Russian investigation and courts. We will not wish anyone to experience such a thing. Since then, we have been renting housing only on services that provide guarantees.
That's why it's safe to rent an apartment on Airbnb and Sutochno.ru:
- there are no intermediary realtors on these services;
- can be rented daily or for a longer period;
- their sites are simple and straightforward - everything is as transparent as possible.
Another option is to find an apartment on Booking.com. This service has a special section for finding apartments. More than 4,000 apartments are available for St. Petersburg.
Which area to choose
Tourists usually prefer to rent an apartment in the center of St. Petersburg. We advise you to consider other areas: Vasileostrovsky, Petrogradsky, Admiralteisky. They are close to Central, but quieter and more authentic. We especially like to stay at Vaska and Tekhnolozhka, because we lived there before.
How to book an apartment
- Go to Airbnb.
- Select the area on the map.
- Click "Entire home".
- Choose a few of the options you like.
- Write to the hosts and ask if they can really host you.
- Only then decide finally and click "Book".
- Further - online payment.
Please note: we strongly recommend that you first write to the hosts, ask all your questions, and only then book your accommodation.
Check out our tips for booking accommodations on Airbnb. It will also be useful for you to learn about 10 ways to book a hotel cheaper.
A selection of cool apartments in St. Petersburg
Apartment for connoisseurs of light
A stunningly cozy apartment for those who appreciate lighting - it is zoned here. The design is also on top: a brick arched vault in the bedroom, stylish furniture, a minimalistic kitchen and ... moss in the bathroom! The apartment is near Nevsky Prospekt, but in a very quiet place. The main places of the city are just 15 minutes on foot. Another advantage is a separate entrance. Price - from 7600 rubles in summer and from 6500 rubles in low season.
An original apartment with a Petersburg flavor
If you want to feel the Petersburg spirit, then you need to live in this apartment: unusual planning solutions, many interesting interior details, wooden furniture, antique elements of the old fund, windows to the courtyard-well. At the same time, there is everything for a comfortable life. The entourage of the apartment is such that you will want to photograph it! Price - from 4400 ₽ in summer and from 3700 ₽ in low season.
Apartment two minutes from the Hermitage
This apartment captivates not only with its central location (there is simply nowhere in the center), but also with a very cozy interior, in which wood and brick are used. By the way, according to reviews, the apartment even smells of wood. Everything you need for a comfortable life is there. The only negative is good audibility of neighbors, but what to do, old houses! Price - from 7700 rubles in summer and from 4400 rubles in low season.
Apartment with a view of the Kazan Cathedral
A small two-level apartment attracts with a stunning view of the Kazan Cathedral. The house, of course, is historical - the imperial ballet classes were located here and the ballerinas Pavlova, Kseshinskaya, Karsavina, Fedorova were engaged. The apartment has its own bathroom, but there is no kitchen - it is shared by 4 rooms. Price - from 7500 rubles in summer, and in low season it costs from 3800 rubles.
If something went wrong ... Our story
We love Airbnb and often rent accommodation there all over the world. Where we just didn’t live in rented apartments: Europe, Turkey, Cuba, Mexico, Thailand, Bali, Azores - it’s impossible to list everything. Dozens of times we have successfully booked accommodation and only in our almost native St. Petersburg there was a single overlap. Let me tell you how it all happened so that you avoid such troubles.
It was back in 2017. Once again we decided to go to our beloved city. We chose and booked an apartment for seven days. The accommodation was good and inexpensive, the reviews were excellent, and the owner was also praised for his friendliness. The owner confirmed the reservation, but surprises began a few days before the start of the trip. We received a message that for some reason the apartments we have chosen near the Chernyshevskaya metro station are no longer available and we can be offered similar ones, but on Tekhnolozhka. We were a little upset because we wanted to live in a beautiful place in the city center, and we liked that apartment too. We agreed - this was our mistake.
I don’t remember why we were so blunt! All we had to do was force the owner to cancel the reservation with a full refund of our money and choose another accommodation. Airbnb protects the interests of each party: if one of the parties violates the agreement, then the second service will always stand up for the rights. We would have returned the money we paid without any problems, because the joint was on the owner's side. I remember there was a case that the owners canceled our reservation in Paris and once again somewhere - no problems, except for the need to look for new housing, this did not entail.
Then problems with communication and settlement began. The owner assigned us to another woman, the owner of the apartment, for a replacement. At first we barely got through to her, and then it turned out that we can call in only after 7 pm. It's good that we left our things with a friend and walked quietly. And if there are no acquaintances in the city?
We settled in. Two-story apartments (in fact - a converted room in a communal apartment, this is a trend in St. Petersburg) turned out to be generally normal, but with small jambs. The apartment looked not so trendy anymore: a tired table, an oilcloth with a strawberry print from the 2000s, a leaking shower, a musty bathroom.
The next surprise overtook us in a few days. The hostess called and asked to be on a certain day in the afternoon (!!!) in the apartment, because the photographer would come. We were amazed at such impudence and refused.
Then, on one of the evenings, a plumber and a TV technician came - it’s still a pleasure to spend a whole hour with strangers. And the booth, by the way, was leaking anyway.
The owner of the apartment, of course, is a cunning beetle, but I confess that we ourselves acted wrong in this situation. A simple mistake created an avalanche of subsequent problems. Don't step on the same rake.
So, what you need to do to successfully rent an apartment for rent in St. Petersburg or somewhere else:
- The devil is in the details! Read reviews, especially recent and negative ones. And also read the owners' responses to dissatisfied reviews - you can immediately see what kind of owner really is.
- Excellent reviews and a high rating for accommodation are almost always the key to a successful trip.
- Try to choose housing from people with superhost status. This title is given to the most responsible landlords. They won't let you down.
- Before booking, write a letter to the landlord and ask all clarifying questions.
- If the owner offers you replacement housing or other feints, then seek the cancellation of the reservation. In case of resistance, write or call Airbnb support - they will help you.
If you don't want to chat with the hosts, choose hotels. Find out about budget hotels in the center of St. Petersburg.
And finally, a few photos of St. Petersburg courtyards and streets, in which the spirit of this city lives.I just wanted to attach these photos somewhere! :)
The article uses paintings by I.I.Mashkov and V.M. Vasnetsov and an element of the painting of the Russian Museum.
