Moscow authorities have uncovered 107 illegal hostels in residential buildings since a working group was established last month to conduct such checks, city news service M24 reported Thursday.
About 460 people were found staying in the hostels without proper registration, many in regular apartments in the central Arbat and Zamoskvorechye neighborhoods, the report said, citing Pavel Bolshunov, press secretary for the city's central district head.
Bolshunov was cited as saying such hostels were often the source of unpleasant smells and loud noise.
A police spokesman for the city's central district, Roman Mikhailov, told M24 that police and the district's prefect are preparing a proposal to prohibit hostels located in residential buildings, in order to prevent disturbance to the neighbors.
Currently, the owner of a hostel can be fined up to 750,000 rubles ($14,000) for having unregistered guests, the report said. If the hostel itself is not properly registered as a business, the apartment's owner can be charged with unlawful entrepreneurship.
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