Family mortgage 2.0: Who is eligible for government support from February 1 and how conditions have changed

On February 1, 2026, the long-awaited amendments to the family mortgage program will come into force in Russia. After analyzing the demographic situation and the real estate market, the government did not extend the old rules in their previous form, but carried out a targeted "reconfiguration" of the tool that has helped hundreds of thousands of families in a few years. The goal is to make assistance more targeted and sustainable. We're figuring out what's changing and who the new rules are designed for. The main shift: the rate will become floating, but it will remain profitable The key change, which has already been called the most significant, is the abandonment of the fixed rate of 6%. Instead, starting from February 1, 2026, a floating rate will be introduced, linked to the key rate of the Bank of Russia with a fixed discount. · New formula: The Central Bank's key rate is minus 2.5 percentage points. · Example: If the key rate at the time of receiving the loan is 7%, the final family mortgage rate for the borrower will be 4.5%. At the same time, the rate will be reviewed every three years or less, depending on the conditions of a particular bank, but the discount of 2.5 percentage points will remain unchanged for the entire term of the loan. According to experts, this makes the program more flexible and less costly for the budget in the long run. During periods of low key interest rates, families will receive even more favorable conditions, and the state will not incur excessive costs when the value of money in the market is high. There is a risk of a higher payment in the future, but it is limited by the mechanism of a long-term discount. Priority for the young and those with many children: tightening the age limit The second important change will affect the age of borrowers. Starting from February 1, the maximum age at the time of receiving a loan is reduced from 45 to 35 years. This measure clearly refocuses the program to support young families, who often cannot save for a down payment due to low incomes at the start of their careers. Who will be able to get a preferential loan under the new rules (basic conditions): 1. Birth/adoption of a child: The right to the program arises upon the birth of the first child after February 1, 2026. For families where the first child was born before this date, the program will be available at the birth/adoption of the second or subsequent children. 2. Age: At least one of the spouses (or the only parent) must be at least 35 years old on the date of applying for a mortgage. 3. Term: The loan is issued for the purchase of housing on the primary market or an object under construction from a legal entity (from the developer). The loan term is up to 30 years. 4. Initial payment: A minimum remains — 20% of the cost of housing. What hasn't changed: · Grace period: The rate is valid for the entire term of the loan. · Limits: Regional limits on the maximum cost of housing, differentiated depending on the subject of the Russian Federation, remain in place. · Refinancing: The opportunity to refinance previously taken out mortgages at a new rate for eligible families will remain. Realtors note that the changes may cause a short-term surge in demand in January, but in the long term, the support for the new building market will remain. The program remains a powerful driver for the primary market, but its parameters have become more realistic. Conclusions: The family mortgage is not going away, but is being transformed. Starting from February 1, 2026, it will become more targeted for young parents and financially balanced for the state. For the rest, a new chapter of the program opens — with slightly higher risks, but still extremely profitable against the background of standard market offers.