Four years after Russia’s occupation of Mariupol and the devastating siege that left much of the city in ruins, residents face growing uncertainty over their housing rights as Russian authorities impose new property regulations that threaten widespread evictions. The city, once home to about half a million people, has seen up to 90 percent of its residential buildings damaged or destroyed during the 86-day bombardment in 2022. Now the Kremlin is enforcing a law requiring property owners to register their homes under Russian title deeds or risk losing them.

The legislation, signed by President Vladimir Putin in December 2023, mandates that residents obtain Russian citizenship and official registration of their properties by July 2024. Authorities have designated approximately 13,000 apartments in Mariupol as "abandoned," opening the way for these properties to be seized and redistributed—often to Russian citizens who have relocated to the city, drawn by low-cost mortgages and preferential housing programs.

Human rights organizations characterize the new rules as intentionally burdensome, designed to consolidate Russian control over occupied territories and undermine Ukraine’s claims to these lands in any future negotiations. Many residents report difficulties complying with the registration requirements, as applicants must appear in person. Yelena, a longtime Mariupol resident, described how her daughter was barred from entering Russia for two decades, preventing her from registering an apartment in her name. This, she fears, leaves her vulnerable to eviction.

While Russian officials promote the reconstruction of Mariupol’s city center—highlighting new apartment blocks and renovated landmarks such as the Mariupol Drama Theater—the living conditions outside these areas remain dire. Reconstruction efforts have primarily benefited high-profile neighborhoods, with many damaged buildings left unrepaired or demolished without replacement. Eyewitness accounts from residents and leaked complaints reveal ongoing housing shortages, with some families enduring precarious temporary arrangements.

Despite Moscow’s portrayal of Mariupol as a revitalized city and a model for the so-called "new territories," many locals view the rebuilding efforts as superficial. Critics refer to these developments as a “Potemkin village,” suggesting that the visible renewal serves mainly as a propaganda effort masking the harsh realities of occupation. When Putin visited Mariupol in 2023, a resident’s spontaneous outcry—declaring the staged recovery a lie—highlighted widespread local skepticism.

The occupation authorities’ policy favors Russian newcomers, with at least 75 percent of new apartments reportedly purchased by Russians taking advantage of cheap mortgages at rates around 2 percent, significantly below those in Russia itself. Meanwhile, many ethnic Ukrainians lack access to these newly built homes unless they comply with citizenship and document registration demands.

Among those most affected are displaced residents who lost their homes during the siege and reconstruction delays. Yana Ishutina, for example, still lives in a refugee camp outside Moscow because her former apartment was destroyed. Though she has proven ownership, compensation policies now restrict her eligibility to smaller accommodations than her original two-bedroom unit.

As eviction threats loom, there is growing fear among Mariupol’s Ukrainian residents about losing their properties and being displaced permanently. Rights advocates warn that these policies form part of a broader strategy to reshape the demographic and political landscape of occupied territories, effectively integrating them into the Russian state while marginalizing the original population.

For many who remain, the future is uncertain. Some describe the experience as being relegated to “second-class citizens” in their own city, pushed out by policies favoring Russian settlers. With a rapidly approaching deadline and enforcement already underway, the next months could determine the fate of thousands of Mariupol residents and the city’s contested identity under occupation.