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08/30/2026, 21:55

Updated: 08/30/2026, 22:15

Minsk offers entrepreneurs premises with no rent: what conditions must be met?

Authors:

Angelina Dikun

In Minsk, where square meters cost oh-so-considerable money, real estate properties are being offered for free for doing business. There are options in the city center. There are entire buildings with decent floor space. Yes, there are conditions too: you need to do renovations and create new jobs here. Expenses? Yes. But for some entrepreneurs, it is precisely the expensive rent that becomes an obstacle to growth. And here – zero rubles.

A 3D tire shop and clients 24/7. This auto service center has been servicing and repairing cars for over a year now. 8 thousand square meters are enough to accommodate both the vehicles and the business.

Dmitry Yankovsky, head of the auto service center: "In 2024, I started looking for larger premises so that I would have the ability to re-tire trucks with trailers. I came across the gov.by portal, came to look around, submitted the documents, and the premises were provided by a decision of the executive committee. I liked everything right away – the grounds were well-maintained, everything was neat. As soon as I saw it, I immediately went to submit my documents. The premises were, in principle, in good, satisfactory condition."

The building of a former gas station is now an auto service center office. This premises and the adjacent territory on Trostenetskaya Street were given to Dmitry for gratuitous use by the Minsk City Executive Committee. For zero-rent, he created six jobs and improved the site. For now, the entrepreneur admits, all profits are going toward development. The main expense items: utilities, wages, and land tax.

And zero rent, it turns out, is not a one-off experiment but a well-established practice. Property that failed to be leased out, Minsk simply gives away to businesses – but with conditions.

Olga Zurashvili, chief specialist at the State Property Committee of the Minsk City Executive Committee: "To legal entities and individual entrepreneurs, under an obligation to create jobs. At present, 24 real estate properties with a total area of more than 3,000 square meters are being offered. The list is publicly available on the Minsk City Executive Committee's website on the 'Minsk Business Portal' banner, in the 'Rent of premises for 0 rubles' section."

There's plenty to choose from: from Zavodskoy and Partizansky to Central and Pervomaisky districts. For example, here's the first floor of a residential building. Previously it housed a lobby and a stroller room, but for the past two years it's been completely silent. The space is small—just 32 square meters. According to its specifications, it's a great fit for an art studio. You just need to update some of the technical conditions.

The money saved on rent can be invested in renovations right from the start, turning your idea into a profitable venture. Especially considering that with a regular lease, entrepreneurs typically spend around one and a half thousand rubles per month on a 50-square-meter space—that adds up to 18 thousand over a year. That's more than enough to breathe new life into the property.

A two-story detached building is the biggest lot in the registry. And it's not on the outskirts! The address is within the second city ring. But it'll be waiting for an owner for about three years. A coffee shop, barbershop, art studios, or maybe even a full-fledged hostel—the building on Stakhanovskaya Street, 7 can be used for any purpose. Just imagine: two floors, nearly 640 square meters in the capital for zero rubles.

The city offers a fair barter. You get the keys to a space in the capital and pay no rent. Your part of the deal: cover utility bills, fix up the premises, and—most importantly—create new jobs. Not on paper, but in reality, for the entire duration of the contract.

Based on Dmitry's experience, approvals will take about four months, and another couple of months will go toward renovations and hiring staff. Using this auto service as an example, those who aren't afraid at the start end up with a stable business in the capital for years to come.

Dmitry Yankovsky, head of the auto service: "I think you need to take risks no matter what, because if you don't try anything, nothing will work out, and people will regret it later."

Ideal conditions and one hundred percent readiness will never exist. That's why those who embrace the principle of "the best time is now" are already eyeing the available spaces in the capital for their businesses. Standalone buildings, attics, and basements are ready to throw open their doors. The registry of available spaces is updated every month.

Read also:

In September, Belarusbank will lower rates on a number of real estate loans

A historic mansion is being sold for the base price in Belarus

The unified property tax in Belarus: who received notices and what changed

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