The requirement for tobacco shops to have long-term lease agreements in order to obtain a license is excessive, Opora Russia insists and asks the government to abandon this measure. Currently, most facilities use short-term contracts that do not require registration, entrepreneurs assure, and their prohibition may lead to the closure of up to half of the points. But the measure can be considered effective if the purpose of licensing is precisely to reduce the retail presence of tobacco products.
Opora Russia has appealed to Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Grigorenko and Deputy Chief of Staff of the Government of the Russian Federation Sergey Velmyakin with a request to waive the requirement for the validity of lease agreements under the draft law on licensing wholesale and retail sales of tobacco, according to the letters of the organization (Kommersant has). An interlocutor of Kommersant, close to the government, confirmed the receipt of the appeal, specifying that it would be worked out. Dmitry Grigorenko's office also reported that a response was being prepared.
The idea of licensing tobacco sales has been discussed since 2024. In the spring of 2025, the idea was supported by the government (see Kommersant, April 16). The bill was developed by the Ministry of Finance. It is assumed that tobacco trade without a license will be banned from September 1, 2026. The transition period will last for another year. The fee for a five-year wholesale license will amount to 800 thousand rubles. A retail license will cost 20 thousand rubles per facility for each year of operation.
The draft law sets out requirements for stores: their area must be at least 5 square meters. m., and the lease period must be at least one year. It is the latter requirement that is considered redundant in the "Support of Russia".
Currently, according to the organization, a significant part of the facilities are operating under short—term lease agreements - up to 11 months and 29 days. Opora Russia believes that binding long-term contracts will become a serious barrier to work. The Ministry of Finance explained to Kommersant that the requirement for the term of the contract is successfully applied in the alcohol market (when selling spirits). This measure increases the effectiveness of control, helping to bring cases of hidden leases out of the shadows, and allows you to synchronize the license period with the term of the agreement.
According to Yandex Maps, at the beginning of July 2025, 36.7 thousand facilities specializing in tobacco and vapes were operating in Russia. Their number decreased by 4.9% year-on-year under the pressure of current and expected regulatory restrictions (see Kommersant, July 31). If the requirement for long-term contracts is still introduced, up to half of the facilities may close, says Anton Belykh, CEO of DNA Realty.
According to Evgeny Fedotov, founder of the consulting agency Fedotov Group, most landlords of tobacco stores insist on short-term lease agreements. Such agreements, unlike long-term ones, do not require mandatory registration with the Federal Register.
Anton Belykh explains that tobacco shops often rent not a separate room, but a part.
This may be a sublease agreement or an area without a separate cadastral passport. Paperwork in this case is a labor—intensive process that not all owners will go to. "Even if there are documents, it can be difficult to register a contract: Rosreestr is usually reluctant to issue agreements for a part of the premises," he explains.
The requirement for long-term contracts will be a problem primarily for small retail facilities, Mr. Fedotov believes. The expert explains that even if their owners manage to negotiate with the owners, the latter will shift the additional costs into prices, and rental rates will become unaffordable for some sellers.
In its letter, Opora Russia draws attention to the fact that the licensing requirement for the minimum term of lease agreements does not apply to the sale of beer. Alexey Nebolsin, an independent expert on the alcohol market, notes that it is quite difficult to find premises in residential areas for long-term agreements. He considers the introduction of such a requirement effective if the main purpose of regulation is to reduce the number of facilities.
16.3 percent of Russians smoked daily in 2024, according to Rosstat.
Evgeny Fedotov points out that when the bill is adopted in its current version, tobacco retail may also face unequal business conditions in the regions. The authorities of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation at their level can increase the requirement for the minimum area of retail facilities by five times, he recalls. Additionally, according to Mr. Fedotov, it is important to resolve the issue of the sale of commodity residues for retail facilities that are faced with the loss of a license.
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