From studios to “treshka”: how the demand for rent in Penza has changed

September 2026 confirmed that the long-term rental market in Russia has not lost momentum set by the August peak. According to the data of the Analytical Center of Real Estate Avito, the activity of the platform users in the first autumn month was 13% higher than the June values and almost coincided with the July level. In other words, the traditional autumn “failure” after the high season did not happen – interest in rental housing remained on an elevated background. For Penza, this all-Russian trend manifested itself in a specific way: the city was not among the leaders in the growth of appeals, but stood out at once on several other parameters - the structure of demand, the level of rates and the scale of supply.

Among major cities, the most noticeable increase in appeals to long-term lease announcements since June was demonstrated by Ryazan (+27%), Ufa (+20%), Lipetsk and Volgograd (+16%), Kazan and Tomsk (+15%), Ulyanovsk (+14%), Kirov and Nizhny Novgorod (+13%). Penza in this row was among the cities with minimal positive dynamics - plus 2% by June. At first glance, the figure is modest. However, it is important in the context: even a slight increase indicates that the Penza market does not stagnate, but maintains seasonal activity, albeit without a surge. Unlike a number of cities where September was more active than July (St. Petersburg +16%, Ulyanovsk +7%, Togliatti and Ufa +5%, Ryazan +4%), Penza was not included in this group - here the peak of interest, apparently, fell in July-August, and by September the market returned to a calmer but stable regime.

All-Russian seasonal dynamics was most pronounced in compact formats: interest in studios in September was 19% higher than in June, to one-bedroom apartments - by 15%, to two-bedroom apartments - by 13%, to three-bedroom apartments - by 9%. Analysts attribute this to the demand for small housing among students and professionals moving to major cities by the beginning of the academic and business season. Penza, however, showed a different configuration. Here in September, the demand for two-bedroom apartments was 21% higher than in early summer, and three-bedroom apartments - 24%. Thus, the Penza market has shifted towards more spacious formats, which can be explained by several factors: the activity of families with children, traditionally focused on renting “two” and “treshek”, as well as the redistribution of demand within the city – some tenants probably preferred more spacious housing in terms of increased choice and relatively affordable rates. It is significant that in Russia, three-room apartments were the least dynamic segment (+9% compared to June), while in Penza they led the growth. This is a local feature that sets the city apart from the national trend.

Seasonal activity also affected rental rates, but in the country as a whole they remain below last year. The average rate in the offer for Russia in September was 34.5 thousand rubles per month – 11% higher than June, but 5% lower than September 2025. The most noticeable annual correction among major regional centers was recorded in Rostov-on-Don and Samara (both -12%), Lipetsk and Perm (both -11%), Tula (-9%), St. Petersburg and Chelyabinsk (both -8%), Ufa, Yekaterinburg and Voronezh (both -6%). In Moscow, the average rate remained at the level of September last year, in Penza - decreased by 3%.

The key feature of Penza is not the dynamics, but the absolute level of the rate. In September 2026, the city took first place among major cities in terms of rental affordability: the average rate was 19.9 thousand rubles per month. For comparison: in Voronezh and Lipetsk - 23.6 thousand rubles, in Ulyanovsk - 23.8 thousand rubles, in Orenburg - 24.8 thousand rubles. In Moscow, you could rent an apartment for an average of 80.1 thousand rubles, in St. Petersburg - for 44.5 thousand rubles. Thus, the Penza rental market remains one of the most budgetary among major cities of Russia, which forms its specific profile: on the one hand, low rates limit profitability for owners, on the other hand, support stable demand from renters with low budgets, including students, young professionals and families moving to the city.

A 3% year-on-year rate reduction with a simultaneous increase in interest in two- and three-bedroom apartments indicates that the Penza market is developing in the “affordability plus choice” mode: tenants are ready to increase the area, but are guided by a restrained budget. This creates an incentive for owners to compete not so much due to the increase in price, but due to the quality of the offer - the readiness of the apartment for occupancy, the state of housing and the transparency of hiring conditions.

One of the key factors restraining the growth of rates was the expansion of supply. In September 2026, the showcase of Avito Real Estate in Russia was 29% wider than a year ago. The number of ads in compact formats has increased especially noticeably: studios - by 39%, one-room apartments - by 38%, two-room ones - by 21%, three-room ones - by 11%.

Among the regional capitals, the most pronounced dynamics of the number of ads was recorded in Yekaterinburg (+ 84% compared to September 2025), Samara (+ 70%), Orenburg (+ 65%), Penza (+ 61%) and Astrakhan (+ 60%). Penza, thus, entered the top five cities-leaders in expanding the choice of housing. This is an important point for understanding the local situation: the city market has become significantly more saturated over the year, which has increased competition among owners and limited their ability to raise rates even in high season. Tenants in Penza have more opportunities to compare options by location, condition and price level.

At the same time, the share of lots directly from owners is growing: by the end of September 2026, such ads accounted for 55% of the offer - 6 percentage points more than a year earlier. In Moscow, the share was 51%, in St. Petersburg - 55%. For Penza, where the rental market is traditionally focused on private owners, this all-Russian trend means a further increase in transparency and a decrease in the role of intermediaries, which in conditions of low rates becomes an additional factor of price restraint.

Commenting on the situation, Konstantin Kamenev, head of the long-term rental category of Avito Real Estate, noted that by the beginning of autumn the market approached with a wider choice of housing, which was formed during the year: objects in newly leased houses, including apartments purchased for investment purposes, continue to be rented; some tenants realize a deferred demand for housing and move out, replenishing the supply in the secondary market; another source is previously empty apartments, whose owners decide to rent out to cover the cost of maintenance. “This empowers tenants to compare more options by location, condition and level of rates.” In such a market, the high season does not necessarily lead to a noticeable change in average prices due to the fact that demand is distributed among a large number of comparable options. As a result, the owners compete not only in the size of the rate, but also in the quality of the offer itself - the readiness of the apartment for occupancy, location and transparency of the terms of employment, the expert stressed.

For Penza, this logic is particularly telling. The city combines three characteristics at once: the lowest level of rates among major cities (19.9 thousand rubles), one of the highest rates of supply expansion (+ 61% year-on-year) and moderate but steady demand growth (+ 2% compared to June). In this configuration, the market works in favor of the tenant: the choice is great, prices are restrained, and competition shifts towards housing quality and hiring conditions. Owners, especially owners of two- and three-bedroom apartments, where demand in Penza has grown most noticeably (+21% and +24%, respectively), it makes sense to rely on housing preparation for occupancy and adequate pricing - in conditions of saturated supply, inflated expectations quickly lead to downtime.

September 2026 cemented Penza’s status as one of the most affordable long-term rental markets among major Russian cities. Seasonal revival here was moderate in comparison with the leaders of growth (Ryazan, Ufa, Kazan), but the structure of demand has shifted towards more spacious formats - two- and three-room apartments, which distinguishes the city from the all-Russian trend for compact housing. The average rate of 19.9 thousand rubles per month remains the minimum in the sample of large cities and continues to adjust downwards (-3% year-on-year), and the supply expanded by 61% - one of the highest rates among regional capitals. Collectively, these factors shape the tenant’s market: wide choice, restrained prices and a growing share of offers directly from owners. For owners, this is a signal to improve the quality of the offer and flexibility in pricing; for tenants, it is an opportunity to choose more spacious housing without significantly increasing the budget. The Penza rental market enters the autumn-winter season in a state of stable balance, where the high season is not translated into price increases, and competition unfolds around the quality and affordability of housing.