Housing rent dynamics and rent regulation in St. Petersburg (1880–1917)

This article studies the evolution of housing rents in St. Petersburg between 1880 and 1917 covering an eventful period Russian world history. We collect digitize over 5,000 rental advertisements from historic newspapers, which we use together with geo-coded addresses detailed structural characteristics to construct a quality-adjusted rent price index continuous time. provide first pre-war pre-Soviet based on market data for any market. In 1915, one world's earliest control tenant protection policies was introduced as response soaring prices following outbreak World War I. analyze impact this policy: while before regulation were increasing at similar rapid pace other consumer prices, policy reversed trend. find evidence official compliance policy, document rise tenure duration strongly increased affordability among workers after introduction policy. conclude that immediate prelude October Revolution indeed characterized by economic turmoil, but rising no longer prevailing problems.