Blackouts are changing the rental market: where the demand for autonomous housing has grown
8 December 18:38
Autumn power outages have once again increased the demand for so-called “autonomous housing” – apartments that remain livable even during blackouts thanks to backup power, autonomous heating or independent Internet access, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
OLX Real Estate’s analysis shows that the market reacts rapidly and unevenly: in some cities, the volume of such offers has increased several times, while in others it has decreased.
Where the supply is growing the most
Compared to October last year, the largest increase in the number of ads was recorded in Sumy (240%), Chernihiv (142%), Lutsk (100%), Zhytomyr and Dnipro (41%) and Kyiv (27%).
Interestingly, the trend is not unique to the frontline or more regularly shelled regions. The increase in supply is also recorded in relatively calm cities such as Lutsk, Ivano-Frankivsk, and Vinnytsia.
Traditionally, most autonomous housing is concentrated in large cities: Kyiv (more than 3.6 thousand ads), Odesa (2.1 thousand), Dnipro (298) and Lviv (228).
How prices are changing
Along with the growth in supply, there has been a significant rise in prices. The median cost of renting an apartment with a backup power supply rose the most in Mykolaiv – by 180% (from UAH 5 thousand to UAH 14 thousand). In Ternopil, prices rose by 80%, in Zaporizhzhia by 46%, and in Kharkiv by 25%.
Such jumps indicate a shortage of well-equipped apartments in cities where the infrastructure situation remains unstable or where the number of IDPs is growing.
Autonomous heating: demand is also growing
Another segment that is actively gaining ground is housing with the ability to turn on heating even without electricity. The largest increase in such ads was recorded in Sumy (114%), Lutsk (72%), Dnipro (40%), Chernihiv (32%) and Kyiv (29%).
Most apartments with autonomous heating are offered in Kyiv – about 9.2 thousand ads. Odesa, Dnipro, Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia also demonstrate significant supply volumes.
The median price of such apartments increased the most over the year in Sumy (36%), Kharkiv (20%) and Vinnytsia (16%). Less noticeable but steady growth is also observed in Zhytomyr and Lviv.
