Rental listings portal for Ukrainian war refugees launched in Estonia

TALLINN – The Estonian Social Insurance Board, in cooperation with the property classifieds portal Kinnisvara 24, has launched a real estate portal that brings together the offers of accommodation that residents of Estonia are offering specifically to Ukrainian war refugees.

Offers of accommodation can be entered at www.kinnisvara24.ee/ukraini/abi .

Evelyn Kaasik, an official from the social protection unit of the Joint Emergency Response Headquarters, said the need for such a portal arose because a few weeks ago their unit was  actively searching for ways to help the Ukrainians in short-term accommodation find a dwelling for a longer term as quickly and safely as possible.

"To date, accommodation offers have been mediated under the leadership of the Social Insurance Board and the Refugee Council at places of short-term accommodation and the office of the Refugee Council. We have now contacted all those who have offered their assistance and passed on the request that if they still have a desire to help the refugees, they can enter their offer in the new online environment," she added.

The new portal was modeled on the existing Kinnisvara24.ee website structure. During the development work, adjustments were made to suit the current emergency situation. For example, searches for accommodation can be performed according to the period, the number of people and even the availability of employment. Since many people took their pets with them when fleeing the war, offers can be filtered also based on whether or not pets are allowed.

The portal gives war refugees the opportunity to choose a suitable place to live themselves.

"In this way, we can also support their independence," Kaasik said. The Social Insurance Board and the Refugee Council meanwhile will continue to offer assistance to all those who need additional support when looking for accommodation.

Those who wish to post a listing on the portal do not have to worry about the language barrier, because all the information entered is automatically translated into Russian. Posting of listings is free for property owners and offers of free accommodation, accommodation for reduced rent and offers on market conditions are welcome alike.