Buying a new-build apartment in Uzbekistan: how to check the developer and the contract

Before paying for an apartment in a building under construction, check three things: whether the developer is on the official Electronic List, whether the project has land and permit documents, and whether your contract will be registered on the Ministry of Construction platform. Below is a step-by-step check, what the contract must contain, which terms should worry you and what changes from 30 December 2026.

Why you need to check for yourself

Shared construction in Uzbekistan is governed by Presidential Resolution PP-4732 of 27 May 2020 and the Regulation it approved. A law on shared construction with mandatory escrow accounts, under which a buyer's money stays in the bank until the building is handed over, is still being considered by Parliament. Until it is adopted, buyers' money goes to the developer's separate account and is spent on construction. That is why your main protection is to check the developer and the documents before you pay.

How to check the developer

1. Find the developer on the Electronic List. Only legal entities included in the Electronic List of developers may raise money from individuals to build apartment blocks, and each housing complex is listed separately. You can check this on the Shaffof Qurilish portal (dshk.shaffofqurilish.uz). Advertising a complex that is not on the list is prohibited.
2. Match the legal entity. The company name and taxpayer number (STIR) in the contract must match the list. A common trap is a contract with a subsidiary, an agency or an individual instead of the developer itself.
3. Make sure the complex is not a problem project. The platform publishes information on problem projects and unscrupulous developers. A project is classed as a problem one, for example, if building standards are grossly violated or if handover is delayed without good reason by more than six months.
4. Look at the developer's track record. Check its earlier buildings: were they finished on time, did buyers receive ownership titles, are there complaints? This is not a legal check, but it tells you a lot about reliability.

Which documents the project must have

To get on the Electronic List, the developer submits a set of documents to the Ministry of Construction. You are entitled to ask to see copies at the sales office:

• documents allocating the land plot for an apartment block;
• initial permit documents: the design brief and the architectural and planning assignment;
• design and cost documentation with a positive expert review (except for fast-track projects);
• contracts for technical and author supervision and for state construction control;
• proof of the developer's own funds of at least 20% of the cost of the complex, or a bank guarantee letter for a loan covering the shortfall;
• a bank certificate for the separate account opened for buyers' money.

Important: new rules from 30 December 2026. Law No. ZRU-1179 of 28 September 2026 provides that construction and installation works on an apartment block may start only after a permit is obtained from the regional Inspectorate for Construction and Housing and Communal Services Supervision. Repeatedly building a multi-storey residential block without a permit after an administrative penalty becomes a crime punishable by 3 to 5 years in prison, or 5 to 7 years if it causes deaths or other grave consequences. The law enters into force three months after publication, on 30 December 2026. If you are buying in a building whose construction will continue after that date, ask the developer about the inspectorate's permit.

What the contract must contain

The Regulation (paragraph 18) lists the terms without which the contract will not be registered:

• details of the complex and the apartment: address, building and apartment number;
• the floor area and price of the apartment;
• the handover date and condition (shell finish, full renovation, etc.);
• the amount the buyer pays and the payment schedule;
• the construction schedule;
• the rights, obligations and liability of the parties;
• the procedure for assigning the buyer's rights;
• a warranty period of at least two years;
• the dispute resolution procedure.

Pay attention to the developer's liability: is there a penalty for delay and how much is it, when can you terminate, and how quickly will your money be returned? Contract terms that restrict consumer rights compared with the law are invalid (Article 21 of the Law "On Protection of Consumer Rights"), but you would have to challenge them in court later, so it is easier to fix them before signing.

Red flags

• The developer or the complex is not on the Electronic List.
• Instead of a shared construction contract, you are offered a "loan agreement", an "investment agreement", a "preliminary sale agreement" or a "reservation" for a large sum.
• You are asked to pay cash to a manager or transfer money to a bank card instead of the developer's account.
• The developer refuses to register the contract or promises to do it "after full payment".
• The contract has no handover date, or the wording is vague: "approximately", "after the building is commissioned".
• There is no penalty for the developer, while the penalties for the buyer are harsh.
• The price is well below the market and you are being pressured: "discount today only".

Example. Suppose you are offered an apartment 25% cheaper than in neighbouring complexes, but asked to sign an "investment agreement" and pay the first instalment in cash. That is two red flags at once: the contract will most likely not be registered as a shared construction contract, and a cash payment is harder to prove.

How to sign and pay correctly

1. Sign the contract with a developer that is on the Electronic List for this specific complex.
2. Make sure the contract is registered. The authorised body reviews it within three working days. After registration you receive an SMS, and every page of the contract carries a unique number and a QR code. The registration fee, 50% of the base calculation amount (BRV), is charged to the developer.
3. Pay only into the developer's separate bank account stated in the contract, and keep all payment documents.
4. Any change, such as a new deadline, a different apartment or a different price, is made by an addendum, which must also be registered. Unregistered contracts and amendments are deemed invalid.
5. If you assign your rights to someone else, you will need your spouse's notarised consent.

If you are buying a finished apartment under a notarised sale contract, note that since 1 April 2026 payments for real estate have been cashless, through data exchange between the bank and the notary, and in practice through an escrow account at a bank. Cash can be paid in only at a bank cash desk (Presidential Decree UP-246 of 10 December 2025).

What happens after the building is completed

The apartment is handed over to you under a handover certificate. Inspect it before signing and record every defect in the certificate. Ownership is registered on the basis of the contract, the handover certificate and the certificate accepting the building into service. Until ownership is registered you cannot deal with the apartment as its owner, so do not delay the paperwork. During the warranty period the developer must fix defects.

When to call a lawyer

You can check a developer against the register yourself. A lawyer is especially useful if:

• the contract is not a shared construction contract, or it contains terms you do not fully understand;
• the purchase uses all your savings or a mortgage, so a mistake is costly;
• you are buying the rights of another buyer (an assignment), which means checking both the original contract and the payments under it;
• you are a foreign national or buying through a representative.

A lawyer specialising in real estate and construction can check the developer's documents, review the contract and propose changes before you sign, when terms are easiest to change.

In short

• Check the developer and the complex on the Electronic List on the Shaffof Qurilish portal.
• Ask for copies of the land documents, the reviewed project and the certificate for the separate bank account.
• The contract must state the handover date, price, construction schedule, liability of the parties and a warranty of at least two years.
• The contract and every amendment must be registered: you get an SMS confirmation and a QR code on each page.
• Pay only into the developer's account named in the contract, never cash to a manager.
• From 30 December 2026, building an apartment block without an inspectorate permit can lead to criminal liability.

Photo: advokatsmart.no, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)