Events

Lukashenko urges local authorities to fill new rental housing

MINSK, 22 September (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko urged local authorities to fill new rental housing without delay during a meeting to discuss housing construction prospects and ways to improve the efficiency of rental housing on 22 September, BelTA has learned.

Some time ago, issues arose regarding the occupancy of new rental housing. In response, the president signed Decree No. 388, which came into force on 1 January 2026. The decree shortens the administrative procedures required for citizens to move in. It caps the timeframe for occupying subsidized rental apartments at 30 working days from the date the building’s commissioning certificate is approved. Previously, this process could take up to 200 days.

“Not so long ago, following complaints, we decided to minimize the time it takes to occupy new buildings. Local authorities must take full control of this process. Newly built apartments must not sit empty,” Aleksandr Lukashenko emphasized. “God forbid anyone complains to me again about newly built housing sitting empty.”

Lukashenko notes rising number of vacant rental apartments

MINSK, 22 September (BelTA) – Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko pointed out the rising number of vacant rental apartments during a meeting to discuss housing construction prospects and ways to improve the efficiency of rental housing on 22 September, BelTA has learned.

“According to the reports I receive, the number of vacant rental apartments is growing. Strangely, how so? Currently, there are more than 17,000 housing units on the list of unclaimed properties. We built housing, and nobody needs it?” the head of state outlined the problem. “Many apartments have been sitting empty for more than a year. Where is the businesslike approach?”

The president noted that previously built housing often simply goes without repairs. As a result, to date, local authorities have declared nearly 6,000 unoccupied housing units unfit for habitation and plan to demolish them.

Commenting on the matter, Prime Minister Aleksandr Turchin clarified that the issue of housing sitting empty or falling into disrepair mostly does not affect new properties built with state budget funds. Instead, it concerns rental housing that was classified as such in 2016, having previously been corporate or institutional housing that citizens did not privatize. According to him, it is primarily this type of housing, located in rural areas, that remains unclaimed.

“Situations vary. Sometimes these old properties might indeed need to be demolished, but some of them could be repaired, fixed up properly, or sold,” the president pointed out.