Three shopping and entertainment centers in Kyiv—Respublika Park, River Mall, and Lavina Mall—account for 31.5% of all Bolt rides to shopping centers in the capital. Visitor activity peaks on weekends, and seasonal demand peaks in November and December.
This is evidenced by the results of a Bolt study covering the period from November 2025 to October 2026, published by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency on November 6.
According to the study, Respublika Park accounted for the largest share of trips among Kyiv’s shopping centers—13% of the total. River Mall took second place with 10%, and Lavina Mall came in third, accounting for 8.5% of trips.
The top ten most popular shopping centers in Kyiv also included Ocean Plaza, Blockbuster Mall, Retroville, Cosmo Multimall, Gulliver, TSUM, and Sky Mall.
In total, the ten shopping centers with the highest number of trips account for 65% of all Bolt orders to shopping centers in the capital.
Most trips to shopping centers occur on weekends
According to Bolt, the busiest day of the week for visiting shopping centers is Sunday, which accounts for 20% of all weekly trips to shopping centers.
On Saturday, this figure stands at 18%, while the lowest activity is recorded on Monday—11%.
The study also identified a characteristic distribution of visits throughout the day. Most often, service users arrive at shopping centers between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and leave them primarily between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Thus, the highest activity among taxi users heading to shopping centers occurs in the afternoon.
An important feature of the market is the seasonality of demand. According to Bolt, in November and December, the number of trips to shopping centers was 40–46% higher than the monthly average during the study period.
This indicates a significant increase in user activity toward the end of the year, when demand for holiday shopping traditionally rises.
The highest demand for trips to shopping centers is concentrated in central Kyiv
Bolt analysts also examined the geography of trips to the capital’s shopping centers.
The largest number of ride requests originate in central Kyiv. Among other districts and residential areas with high user activity, Demiivka, Kharkivskyi, Lukianivka, and Pechersk stand out.
At the same time, demand for rides to shopping centers is distributed across virtually the entire capital.
In particular, Bolt users most often travel to Respublika Park—the shopping center with the highest share of trips—from the Teremky residential area.
In October 2026, the number of trips to Respublika Park increased by 23% compared to September.
The study reflects the behavior of Bolt users and does not constitute a general ranking of foot traffic at Kyiv’s shopping centers, as it does not account for visitors who use their own cars or public transportation.
Air raid alerts remain a significant factor affecting the operation of shopping centers
Despite stable demand for shopping centers, the Ukrainian commercial real estate market continues to operate under significant restrictions due to air raid alerts.
According to data from the Ukrainian Council of Shopping Centers (URTC), in September 2026, the proportion of air raid alerts during shopping centers’ operating hours reached 30.8%, compared to 14.1% in September of last year and 22% in August of this year.
According to updated UCC statistics released on November 2, this figure rose to a new high in October—32.5% of shopping centers’ operating hours. By comparison, in October 2025, it stood at 12.2%.
Starting September 8, 2026, Ukraine introduced a two-tier system for air raid alerts based on threat level: red and yellow.
In September, yellow-level alerts accounted for 60.9% of their total duration, while red-level alerts accounted for 39.1%.
During a yellow-level alert, shopping centers are permitted to operate under certain conditions. However, large international retail chains often suspend store operations regardless of the level of the declared air threat.
According to URTC calculations, as of the end of September, the cumulative time that shopping centers across Ukraine were forced to remain closed due to air raid alerts had reached 176.5 working days since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion. In September alone, this figure stood at 9.6 working days.
Thus, Bolt’s results demonstrate a concentration of demand at the capital’s largest retail properties and a significant seasonal increase in the number of trips, while URTZ’s statistics indicate heightened operational risks for retail real estate due to air raid alerts.
Bolt is an international mobility platform that provides ride-hailing services via a mobile app. The study covers trips made by the service’s users to shopping centers in Kyiv over a twelve-month period—from November 2025 to October 2026.
Kyiv hotels are expanding their range of services for corporate clients by offering long-term accommodations for employees that ensure conditions for uninterrupted work. Against the backdrop of risks of power and water outages, companies are increasingly turning to hotels as an alternative to traditional offices.
In particular, the Kyiv hotels “Ukraine” and “Dnipro,” which are part of the ARS Capital investment holding, are developing a format that combines accommodations, workspace, and self-sufficient infrastructure. This model allows for the temporary accommodation of both individual specialists and entire corporate teams.
Both hotels are equipped with powerful generators, electric boilers for heating, autonomous water supplies, and fiber-optic internet. According to the holding company, this allows them to maintain the operation of essential life-support systems and create conditions for professional work even during disruptions in the centralized supply of utilities.
The new format is primarily aimed at companies for which stable access to electricity and the internet, as well as the ability to organize work processes in a single location, remain critically important.
Instead of renting separate office space and searching for housing for employees, companies can accommodate their teams in hotels, combining work and living needs. This is particularly relevant for businesses that require uninterrupted operations or are forced to temporarily relocate due to infrastructure issues.
ARS Capital reports growing interest in long-term accommodations from corporate clients. In particular, business representatives are considering the possibility of temporarily relocating entire teams to hotels.
“We are already seeing growing interest in this format from businesses seeking to provide their employees with stable, safe, and comfortable conditions for work and rest,” said Maxim Krippa, CEO of the investment holding company ARS Capital.
According to him, the development of this trend meets the new needs of the corporate segment amid the war, when infrastructure autonomy and the ability to quickly set up workspaces have come to the forefront.
The “Ukraine” and “Dnipro” hotels are open to long-term contracts with corporate clients. Accommodation conditions and workspace arrangements are expected to be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the number of employees, the duration of stay, and the specific needs of each company.
The development of this format could become an additional source of occupancy for the capital’s hotel infrastructure. Alongside traditional temporary lodging services, hotels gain the opportunity to work with corporate clients who require comprehensive solutions for staff accommodation and work organization.
At the same time, for Ukrainian businesses, using hotel infrastructure as a temporary office could be one way to ensure business continuity amid energy and other infrastructure risks.
ARS Capital is an investment holding company that owns the “Ukraine” and “Dnipro” hotels in Kyiv. The company is developing a line of business focused on long-term accommodations for corporate clients using the self-contained infrastructure of its hotel complexes.
In Ukraine, only 18% of apartments offered for long-term rental allow tenants to live with pets. As of the end of September 2026, the DIM.RIA real estate marketplace listed 3,425 such apartments across the country.
This is evidenced by the results of a joint study by the verified real estate marketplace DIM.RIA and the animal protection organization UAnimals, published in early October 2026 to mark World Animal Day.
According to the study, in Kyiv, only 18% of apartment rental listings allow tenants to live with pets. The same figure was recorded in Odesa region, while in Lviv region it stood at 17%.
The highest share of apartments whose owners allow pets was recorded in Chernihiv and Sumy regions, at 40% of the total number of rental offers in each region.
At the same time, analysts note that the high percentage in these regions may be explained by the relatively small number of apartments available on the rental market.
The situation with renting private houses proved more favorable for pet owners. Overall, the platform featured 700 relevant offers, accounting for approximately 31% of house rental listings.
Among regions with a noticeable number of listings, the highest share of houses available for tenants with pets was recorded in Chernivtsi region at 67%, Dnipropetrovsk region at 62%, and Lviv region at 56%.
In Cherkasy and Chernihiv regions, the share of such offers reached 100%. However, the researchers emphasize that these results may be related to the small number of private house rental listings.
The experts also separately analyzed the apartment rental market in Kyiv. The largest number of offers allowing tenants to live with pets was concentrated in the Pecherskyi district, with 964 apartments.
In the capital’s Shevchenkivskyi and Holosiivskyi districts, 249 such offers were recorded in each, while Darnytskyi district had 220, Solomianskyi district 155, and Obolonskyi district 105.
The smallest selection of apartments for tenants with pets was observed in Desnianskyi district, with 42 offers, and Sviatoshynskyi district, with 52.
UAnimals emphasizes that the limited supply of housing for people with pets has become a particularly acute problem during the full-scale war, when a significant number of Ukrainians have been forced to move from dangerous regions together with their pets.
“Because of the war, many people are forced to evacuate or relocate with their animals. Our team has been evacuating animals from combat zones since the beginning of the full-scale war and sees how often people are refused rental housing because of a cat or dog. This makes relocation and finding a new home more difficult,” representatives of UAnimals said.
The organization calls on property owners to be more open to tenants with pets, as this expands housing search opportunities for internally displaced persons and other citizens who are changing their place of residence.
The study results indicate a significant difference between the apartment and private house rental segments. While fewer than one in five apartment listings allow pets, nearly one in three private house listings do.
The study is based on active listings on the DIM.RIA marketplace as of the end of September 2026. Therefore, the figures presented characterize the supply on this platform rather than the entire rental housing market in Ukraine.
DIM.RIA is a Ukrainian online real estate marketplace specializing in the sale and rental of housing, including verified apartments and houses. UAnimals is a Ukrainian animal protection organization engaged in rescuing animals, evacuating them from frontline areas, supporting shelters, and protecting animal rights.
S1 REIT, an investment company that is part of S1 Group, has begun selling certificates for its new S1 Poznyaki investment fund with a minimum initial investment of 1,000 UAH and the option to make additional contributions starting at 100 UAH. The total issue volume of the certificates is 250 million UAH, the company reported in a press release published on November 2, 2026.
According to the announcement, the fund will invest in 80 apartments with a total area of 2,828 thousand square meters in the 24-story S1 Poznyaki residential building, which is under construction near Lake Sribny Kil in the Darnytskyi district of Kyiv, approximately two minutes from the “Poznyaki” metro station.
The total area of the building will be 29,500 square meters. Construction is scheduled to be completed and the property commissioned by the end of 2028.
The fund’s projected annual return is 9% in U.S. dollars; however, the company emphasizes that this figure is based on the project’s financial model and does not guarantee future profits.
The investment model envisages two stages of income generation. During construction, the expected increase in property value should be reflected in the price of investment certificates, while dividend payments are not anticipated at this stage.
Once the building is commissioned and apartments begin to be rented out, rental income is expected to become the source of dividends for certificate holders.
In addition, investors will be able to gradually accumulate certificates with the option of exchanging them for completed apartments in accordance with the fund’s terms.
“You don’t have to wait until you’ve saved up enough for an entire property. You can start with 1,000 UAH and buy additional certificates when you have the opportunity. Then you can choose your own path: remain a fund investor to receive future rental income or gradually work toward owning your own apartment,” said Viktor Boichuk, Commercial Director of S1 REIT.
According to Igor Gifes, CEO of S1 REIT, the launch of the fund allows investors to invest in real estate during the construction phase and count on potential appreciation in value upon project completion.
The S1 Poznyaki building is being developed as a “Build-to-Rent” project—real estate designed to be leased out.
The project includes approximately 1,500 square meters of internal infrastructure, including a coworking space, a gym, a movie theater, a children’s playroom, recreation areas, and a fully equipped shelter. Another approximately 7,000 square meters on the ground floors is allocated for commercial spaces and service facilities.
Once the building is commissioned, S1 Property will manage the property.
The sale of investment certificates is organized through online applications on the S1 REIT website.
The company specifically highlights the risks associated with investing, particularly those related to military actions, construction timelines, and market conditions. The projected return does not guarantee the preservation of the invested capital.
S1 REIT is part of S1 Group and specializes in collective investments in income-generating real estate in Kyiv. The group also includes the developer Standard One and the property management company S1 Property.
Source: S1 REIT press release dated November 2, 2026, published by Interfax-Ukraine.
CONSTRUCTION, INVESTMENT, KYIV, REAL ESTATE, RENTAL, S1 REIT
Barbados is preparing to launch a new program to attract foreign investors, which will grant permanent residency for investments of 5 million Barbadian dollars (approximately $2.5 million USD) in government-approved projects. In the future, investors will be able to apply for citizenship through a simplified procedure that requires actual residence in the country for at least 360 days over a specified period.
The new system is intended to serve as an alternative to traditional Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs, which are under pressure from the European Union due to security risks associated with the visa-free regime.
The bill provides for two main mechanisms for obtaining permanent resident status.
The first will allow a foreign national to apply for permanent residency after investing at least 5 million Barbadian dollars in a national development project officially approved by the government.
At a fixed exchange rate of 2 Barbadian dollars to 1 U.S. dollar, the minimum amount is approximately $2.5 million.
During a parliamentary debate on October 27, Barbados’ Minister of Home Affairs, Gregory Nicolls, cited water supply and wastewater treatment, healthcare, education, housing, renewable energy, infrastructure, technology, agriculture, and tourism as priority areas.
At the same time, investments must be directed toward projects that are of public interest and meet the criteria set by the government.
The second mechanism involves the use of a points-based system.
This will allow for the consideration of smaller investments—specifically, those starting at 1 million Barbadian dollars, or approximately $500,000—in designated development projects.
Points will be awarded based on the investment amount, the applicant’s age, family ties to Barbados, and other criteria.
Each point will correspond to six months of the required residency period, thereby shortening the standard five-year period needed to obtain permanent residency.
At the same time, investors will be required to meet physical presence requirements. To qualify for the points-based system, applicants must have resided in the country for at least 180 days over the preceding three years.
A separate citizenship bill proposes reducing the requirements for the duration of physical presence in the country.
Foreign nationals who are not citizens of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and have obtained permanent residency will be able to apply for citizenship after a cumulative stay in Barbados of 360 days within a statutory period of at least 1,460 days.
More lenient conditions apply to citizens of CARICOM member states: 270 days of residence within a period of at least 1,095 days.
The provisions also allow for the inclusion of the applicant’s spouse and dependents.
However, meeting the investment and residency requirements does not guarantee automatic granting of citizenship.
The Ministry of the Interior may deny an application on grounds of national security, public policy, the existence of criminal offenses specified by law, or insufficient means of support.
Minister of the Interior Gregory Nicolls emphasized that the government is not introducing a traditional Citizenship by Investment program.
The key difference is that investments will grant the right to apply for permanent residency, while obtaining citizenship will require a separate procedure and fulfillment of residency requirements.
Barbados has never had a classic program for the direct sale of citizenship, similar to the schemes in place in several other Caribbean countries.
The new rules could make the country more attractive to wealthy foreigners considering a move to the Caribbean region and investing in real estate, infrastructure, and tourism projects.
One notable change will be the ability to count time spent in the country under the Welcome Stamp program—designed for foreign remote workers—toward the legal residency period required to apply for permanent residency.
Barbados’s reform comes amid stricter European Union requirements for countries that grant citizenship in exchange for investment.
Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, and St. Lucia have come under pressure from Brussels.
The European Commission is demanding that these countries phase out their investment citizenship programs by June 1, 2028, warning that the visa-free regime with the EU could be suspended.
The main concern of European authorities is that third-country nationals can obtain Caribbean passports without actually residing in those countries and enjoy visa-free access to the Schengen Area.
According to the European Commission, this creates risks of inadequate vetting of applicants, money laundering, and circumvention of immigration restrictions.
According to a Reuters report dated October 29, 2026, the government of Antigua and Barbuda is considering a phased closure of its program. At the same time, the country is seeking additional time and financial support from the EU to compensate for budget losses.
For some Caribbean nations, revenue from investment citizenship programs accounts for a significant portion of government revenue and funding for construction projects.
Against this backdrop, Barbados is proposing a model in which foreign capital is attracted through investments in economic development, while citizenship remains the result of a separate naturalization process.
In addition to investment needs, the Barbadian government seeks to address demographic challenges related to an aging population and a declining birth rate.
According to data previously cited by the country’s Prime Minister Mia Mottley, 3,642 children were born in Barbados in 2000, while the number of deaths stood at 2,444.
By 2024, the situation had changed: the number of births had fallen to 1,995, while deaths had risen to 3,088.
The government views attracting foreign investors and specialists as one of the tools for supporting economic development, the labor market, and population growth.
For investors, a Barbadian passport remains an additional factor of attractiveness, as it provides visa-free access or the ability to obtain a visa upon arrival to approximately 162 countries and territories, including the Schengen Area.
At the same time, investment residency alone will not provide such opportunities. They will only become available after obtaining citizenship.
As of November 3, 2026, both bills are under consideration by the Barbados Senate.
Once the parliamentary process is complete, the bills will require final approval and official enactment.
In addition, the government will need to define the list of eligible investment projects, administrative fees, the application review process, investment retention periods, and other practical requirements.
Minister of Home Affairs Gregory Nichols previously expressed hope that the new legislation would be finalized by November 30, 2026, when Barbados will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its independence.
Barbados is an island nation in the Caribbean with a population of approximately 280,000. The main sectors of the economy are tourism, international financial services, trade, and construction. The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and became a parliamentary republic in 2021.
CITIZENSHIP, INVESTMENT, MIGRATION, REAL ESTATE, RESIDENCY, Барбадос
Starting November 20, 2026, the international short-term rental platform Airbnb will introduce new rules for property owners that restrict their ability to require guests to perform household chores before checkout. Specifically, hosts will no longer be able to require guests to wash bed linens, wash dishes, or take out the trash.
According to an official statement from Airbnb, the new requirements will apply to all reservations made on or after November 20.
Under the platform’s updated policy, apartment and house owners must not assign to guests tasks typically performed by professional cleaners. Specifically, this includes removing bed linens from beds, running the washing machine, washing and putting away dishes, and taking trash outside the property.
At the same time, hosts will be able to set reasonable household requirements. For example, hosts are allowed to ask guests to leave used dishes in the sink, stack towels in one place, sort trash into designated bins inside the property, or turn off the air conditioner before checkout.
One of the key changes will be increased transparency regarding rental terms. All house rules must be listed in the listing before a reservation is made. Once a reservation is confirmed, hosts will not be allowed to impose additional requirements via messages, verbal agreements, or informational signs in the apartment.
Airbnb also prohibits hosts from imposing fines on guests on their own and from charging extra for the use of amenities that are already included in the property description. All mandatory fees for listed services must be included in the booking price.
In addition, the new policy restricts the ability to require guests to sign separate rental agreements or provide personal documents. Exceptions are made for cases required by law, long-term rentals of one month or longer, Airbnb Luxe listings, and certain additional services.
The company announced that hosts will be able to use seven standard categories of stay policies. These will cover the maximum number of guests, noise restrictions, hosting events, pets, smoking, commercial photography and videography, and the requirement to lock the property when guests are away.
Airbnb has established a phased system of restrictions for violations of the new requirements. Initially, hosts will be asked to adjust their rental terms and may receive a warning. If violations persist, a corresponding notice may appear in the listing for potential guests, and the property itself may drop in the platform’s search rankings. In more serious cases, other sanctions may be imposed in accordance with the terms of service.
At the same time, Airbnb allows for individual exceptions based on local circumstances. For example, in regions with water shortages, hosts may ask guests to limit their water usage, and in areas inhabited by wildlife, guests may be asked to dispose of trash in specially designated containers.
Airbnb is an American international online platform for short-term housing rentals, founded in 2008. The service connects owners of apartments, houses, and other accommodations with tourists and travelers around the world.
AIRBNB, housing rentals, INVESTMENT, REAL ESTATE, short-term rentals, TOURISM
