October 2026 will bring a number of legislative changes that will affect the lives of many Russians. In particular, the terms of family mortgages will be updated, the pensions of some citizens will increase and the rules for the operation of marketplaces and the self-employed will change. Also in Russia, housing and communal services tariffs and the cost of tickets for some trains will increase, and banks will tighten the issuance of consumer loans. Read more in the Lenta.ru article.
Housing and communal services tariffs will increase
From October 1, the main stage of indexation of utility tariffs will take place in Russia. The new prices will be reflected in November receipts - the increase will range from 8 to 22 percent, depending on the region. Payments will increase the most in the Stavropol Territory and Moscow, and the least in Khakassia.
Regions themselves determine the maximum index for the growth of utility bills. It does not apply to each line of the receipt separately, but to the total payment amount: one service may become more expensive, another less, but the total amount should not exceed the limit established for the region.
Family mortgage terms will change
If previously all families, regardless of the number of children, were given a mortgage at six percent per annum, now the rate will depend on the number of children in the family.
In Moscow, the Moscow region, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, the rate will be 12 percent for one child, 10 percent for two, 8 percent for three, 6 percent for four and 4 percent for five or more children. In these regions, the maximum loan amount has also changed: for families with one child it will be 12 million rubles, with two children - 15 million, and with three or more children - 18 million.
For other regions, different conditions apply: for them the interest rate will be lower and will be 10 percent for families with one child, 8 percent for families with two children, 6 percent for three, 4 percent for four and 2 percent for families with five or more children. The maximum loan amount in the regions will be 6 million rubles for families with one child, 8 million for families with two children, 10 million for families with three or more children.
Also in the updated family mortgage program there will be a maximum period for subsidizing a soft loan - 15 years. Families with at least one child under seven years of age or a disabled minor will still be able to get a mortgage.
For families who take out a mortgage to build a house, the rate will remain at six percent, regardless of the number of children and region.
Some Russians will see their pensions and salaries increase
The fixed payment to the insurance pension for all elderly citizens who turned 80 in September or who were assigned group I disability will double - from 9,584.69 to 19,169.38 rubles. The recalculation will be done automatically. Moreover, if a person’s pension has already been increased previously due to receiving group I disability, and a second time - upon reaching 80 years of age, the payment will not be increased.
Also, pensions of former military and law enforcement officers will increase by at least four percent. The final size of the pension will still depend on length of service: with 20 years of service, the payment is 50 percent of the salary, for each subsequent year three percent is added to this amount. However, the total amount cannot exceed 85 percent. Regional coefficients and allowances for disability, dependents and northern experience may be added to the pension.
The salaries of military personnel and law enforcement officers will also increase by no less than four percent. The increase will be received by both conscript and contract employees, as well as employees of the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Russian Guard, the FSB, the Federal Penitentiary Service, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Federal Customs Service and the State Fire Service. Both the salary by rank and the salary by position will be increased.
Tickets for some trains will become more expensive
From October 1, 2026, prices in Russia will increase by 9.2 percent for those categories of tickets that the state considers socially significant - tickets in second-class and general carriages, as well as for the transportation of goods and luggage.
Tickets for compartments, SVs and high-speed trains (Sapsan and Lastochka) will also not be affected by indexation, since they belong to the unregulated segment, where the price is set by the carrier.
Depositing cash into a bank account will become easier
Russians will have the technical ability to deposit cash into their account through an ATM of another bank using the Fast Payment System (FPS) - for this, the terminal must support the service. Topping up through a third-party ATM will be possible only within the limits: up to 25,000 rubles per transaction, up to 50,000 per day and no more than 200,000 per month.
The operation does not consume the free limit for transfers through SBP between your accounts. The decision to connect the service is made by banks; they also have the right to charge a commission for depositing cash in this way.
Marketplaces will start working in a new way
On October 1, a ban on the platform economy comes into force in Russia. If previously each site independently determined the rules of operation, commissions, logistics conditions, discount mechanisms and other aspects of activity, now the federal law establishes uniform rules for e-commerce. The innovations will affect 12 digital platforms, the list of which was approved by the Ministry of Economic Development.
The new federal law deprives marketplaces of the ability to quickly change the terms of the contract and protects businesses from sudden changes. It obliges digital platforms to notify sellers of major operational updates at least 45 days in advance, and of other changes at least 15 days in advance. In addition, marketplaces will have to send a reasoned notification to sellers in the event of blocking a personal account and check the sellers’ documentation.
Also, platforms will no longer be able to offer discounts on goods and services at the expense of the seller. Venues will be required to notify the seller about the possibility of a discount at least five working days in advance and obtain his consent. Lack of consent cannot be grounds for blocking a personal account, lowering a rating, or otherwise infringing on the interests of the seller. In this case, the seller receives the right to set the minimum price of the goods.
According to the innovations, a buyer who has discovered defects in a product from the marketplace can make demands on the seller, and the platform, as an intermediary, is obliged to provide this opportunity. If the buyer demands a refund for the product, the site must guarantee a refund to the consumer.
Rules for issuing loans will be tightened
The Bank of Russia is tightening requirements for banks and microfinance organizations when issuing consumer loans. The new limits, which will take effect on October 1, will most affect borrowers with a debt ratio (DLR) above 50 percent, people with multiple loans at the same time, credit card holders with large unused limits, borrowers who want to take out a loan for five years or longer, as well as customers with opaque income.
The Bank of Russia is not introducing a ban on issuing such loans, but due to increased risks for financial institutions it will become more expensive. In practice, the new rules will lead to a more stringent selection of clients - those who fall into the risk zone will be more often rejected. The changes will not affect mortgages, as separate limits apply.
There will be new rules for the self-employed
For self-employed people who work through applications and intermediary sites, a new rule will be introduced from October 1. If a self-employed person works for the same customer for more than 60 hours every month for six months, the platform will block the opportunity to work with this customer for two months.
A self-employed person can continue to take orders from other clients through the same platform - the restriction applies only to one specific customer. A self-employed person will not be fined for this, but if the tax service sees signs of labor in such a relationship, the customer will have to pay additional personal income tax and insurance premiums. The new rules do not apply if the work is not counted by the hour or if the self-employed and the customer agreed directly, without the participation of the platform.
