Terms of Cooperation of Residents of a Communal Apartment in St. Petersburg

After the start of the privatization process in Russia, life in communal apartments has changed; communal apartments become a private ownership. The composition of the residents of communal apartments is becoming heterogeneous, as some of the owners rent their rooms. However, public places and communal property continue to be owned by them. So, if common problems arise, residents should act together. This study presents the results of applying a rational choice theory to explaining the cooperation of residents of a communal apartment. This case is unique, as the residents of a communal apartment have no kinship and have different interest in solving the problems. The study aims to identify the conditions under which residents of a communal apartment unite to solve a common problem. In work the method of case-study is used. Cases are communal apartments in St. Petersburg. The empirical base consists of 17 semi-structured interviews, which were taken from representatives from each room in a communal apartment. As a result of the analysis, the conditions for cooperation and barriers that impede cooperation were identified.