The Russian parliament's upper chamber, the Federation Council, has rejected a bill that would prohibit the establishment of hotels, hostels, and home-sharing activities in residential buildings.
At a March 13 session, 151 lawmakers voted against the bill, while two supported it and four abstained.
Federation Council speaker Valentina Matviyenko said that most members of the chamber support the idea but want its endorsement to be postponed until January 1, 2020.
According to Matviyenko, businesses involved in hospitality services and home-sharing in residential buildings need time to prepare "to implement the law properly."
The parliament's lower chamber, the State Duma, adopted the bill last week. The proposed legislation says that problems related to registration and taxation require a ban on the establishment of hotels, hostels, and home-sharing activities in residential buildings.
The chairwoman of a Duma committee that handles issues related to residential buildings, Galina Khovanskaya, told journalists that the lower chamber would continue to work on the legislation.
It is rare for the Federation Council to reject legislation approved by the Duma. Both chambers are dominated by the ruling United Russia party.
