Updated rules for the provision of hotel services will come into force in Russia on March 1, 2026. They were approved by the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation dated 11/27/2025 No. 1912 and replace the current rules of 2020.
The document applies not only to hotels, but also to all accommodation facilities.:
- recreation
- centers apartments
- glamping and camping
- mini-hotels and guest houses
In fact, a single booking standard is being introduced throughout the country.
Why did you need the changes?
Until now, the refund conditions have been completely dependent on the policy of a particular hotel.
As a result:
- in one facility, only the advance payment was retained,
- in another — the cost of a day,
- and sometimes — the entire amount of accommodation.
Disputes over refunds accounted for a significant proportion of complaints in the tourism sector.
The new rules eliminate this uncertainty: now some of the conditions are set by the state and cannot be changed by the contract.
The main innovation is the limitation of withholding payments in case of no—show
A single rule is being introduced for the situation when the guest has not arrived and has not notified about the cancellation of the reservation.
Now the placement object must:
- wait for the guest 24 hours from the time of arrival
- and only then cancel the reservation.
- deduct no more than the cost of one night’s stay
Important:
This is not a “free cancellation period”, but a no-show fee limit.
Previously, it was not uncommon to withhold the entire booking amount — now it will become illegal.
Cancellation and no—show are different situations
The new rules clearly separate the two cases.
Cancellation before arrival
The guest informed in advance → the terms of the tariff apply (they are specified in the contract)
I didn’t stop by and didn’t warn you
The guest just didn’t arrive → you can only hold on for 1 day
What must be specified in the contract?
Now the booking agreement must contain specific information.:
- the exact room size
- Cancellation conditions
- cancellation terms
- and prepayment refund procedure
- terms of refund of funds
Formulations like “according to the rules of the hotel” are no longer allowed.
What is changing for tourists
The guest gets:
predictable financial consequences of cancellation
protection from deduction of the entire cost of accommodation
fixed refund periods
This is especially important for business trips and family trips, where dates change frequently.
What is changing for business
Entrepreneurs will have to reconsider:
offers on websites
rules of accommodation
agreements with booking aggregators
the financial model of tariffs
The main consequences
are that arbitrary fines cannot be imposed
, and the entire prepayment cannot be withheld in case of no-show
. The conditions must be spelled out directly in the contract
Risks of violation
Failure to comply with the new rules will be considered a violation of consumer rights and may result in:
administrative fines
refund of funds at the request of the client
legal disputes
sanctions from booking aggregators
Result
The accommodation market is moving from “internal hotel rules” to unified state standards.
Hotels retain compensation for room downtime, but are unable to deduct the full cost of accommodation.
The main result of the reform is that booking becomes a legally understandable and predictable service for both tourists and businesses.
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A source: https://buh-a.ru/o-companii/novosti/11-novosti/370-debitorskaya-zadolzhennost-pod-kontrolem-fns
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