A practical guide to checking a Tashkent new-build before paying: registered shared-construction contracts, escrow, project documents, delays and ownership registration.
What changed for buyers in 2026
Buying a new-build apartment in Tashkent looks effortless in an advertisement: choose a floor plan, pay the first instalment, wait for the keys. A real transaction has several more stages—verifying the development, reading the contract, confirming the bank arrangement, tracking completion and registering ownership. The most expensive mistake is to transfer money before you know who receives it, what legal instrument protects it and which exact apartment the payment relates to.
A presidential decree on shared construction introduced a new buyer-protection structure. From 1 July 2025, developers were to attract buyers’ shared-construction funds only under a notarised contract registered by the cadastral authorities. The decree provided a transition period during 2025 and stated that, from 1 January 2026, such funds would be attracted exclusively through escrow accounts.
Escrow is a special account at an authorised commercial bank. The buyer’s money is not placed at the developer’s free disposal; it remains protected until the agreed conditions are met. The decree also states that escrow funds may not be frozen, seized or written off to satisfy unrelated obligations of the buyer, developer or third parties.
There is an important 2026 caveat. Official government and parliamentary updates show that the unified “Uy-joy” system and a dedicated shared-construction law are still being developed. A brochure that merely says “escrow” is therefore not enough. Before the first payment, confirm that the particular development is using the live legal process, that the bank is a party to the transaction and that the contract will be notarised and registered.
Verify the development before discussing the discount
A sales office may offer a price that expires on Friday. Due diligence should not run on that clock. Identify the development by its official name and exact address. Check the land parcel, number of floors, entrances and units, approved design documents, construction permit, expert approval, start date and planned completion date.
The decree envisages these details being published on an electronic housing-construction platform. Buyers should also be able to see the construction permit, developer rating, previous projects, contract discipline and record of completing projects on time. If a development is absent from the platform, or the required unit and area data have not been transmitted to cadastral authorities, the contract should not be notarised or registered.
Ask the sales manager for the registered project name, not only the brand used in advertising. Match the address, block, floor and future apartment across every document. If the presentation identifies one building, the contract another, and the payment is described only as a “preliminary reservation”, pause until the discrepancy is resolved in writing.
Check the developer’s rights to the land and registered restrictions through Uzbekistan’s [State Register of Rights to Real Estate](https://gov.uz/en/pages/kochmas_mulklarga_bolgan_huquqlar_reyestri). The government describes this register as the official source of registered rights, with electronic and paper extracts having equal legal force. The my.gov.uz service for [checking cadastral passport and extract information](https://my.gov.uz/en/service/506) is also useful. For an unfinished building, the relevant checks concern the land and project documents; title to the individual apartment arises later, after commissioning and registration.
What the shared-construction contract should contain
Your apartment must be impossible to confuse with another unit. The contract should identify the parties and the unit, including projected area, floor, number or another unique identifier. It should set the price and payment schedule, construction and handover dates, finishing specification, liability, amendment process and termination rules.
Two formalities are crucial: notarisation and state registration. A stamped paper signed in the sales office, an “investment agreement”, a reservation form or a receipt is not a substitute for a registered shared-construction contract. The electronic platform is also intended to record assignments of the buyer’s claim and pledges over those rights.
Do not read only the price. The date when the building is approved for use and the date when the apartment is handed to the buyer may differ. Check what happens if final measurement changes the area and how the price is recalculated. Determine who pays notarial, bank and registration costs. Review any clause that appears to let the developer unilaterally replace materials, the layout or even the building block.
If parking, storage, furniture or a finished interior is promised, put it in the contract or signed appendices. Attach the floor plan and finishing specification to the same agreement. A promise in a messenger chat is not the same as an enforceable product specification.
How escrow payment works
The escrow account is opened at an authorised commercial bank under a tripartite arrangement between the developer, buyer and bank. The payment details must belong to that special account. A transfer to the company’s ordinary current account, an employee’s card, cash “to lock the price”, or a different legal entity falls outside that protected route.
Keep the tripartite agreement, bank details, payment orders and statements. Use the contract number and unit description in the payment reference exactly as the bank requires. Never accept a structure in which only part of the price is documented and the rest is paid off the books. Protection can only follow money that is documented and remains inside the formal transaction.
Construction is financed from the developer’s equity, bank project financing and other lawful sources. The decree allows a targeted construction loan after the developer completes at least 30 per cent of the work with its own funds. The buyer’s escrow balance is not released as petty cash every time an instalment arrives.
Once permission to operate the building has been issued, escrow funds are used to repay the construction loan and the balance is released to the developer. A transfer act is then signed and the buyer’s ownership is registered. “Almost finished” is not a legal milestone: it does not equal an operating permit or registered title.
Delays, extensions and exit
Dates should be written as dates, not as “approximately in the fourth quarter”. The decree provides for a fixed daily penalty if construction is not completed and the operating permit is not obtained on time. An extension requires the buyer’s consent.
If commissioning is delayed by more than six months compared with the approved project documentation, the buyer may terminate the contract unilaterally and recover the funds held in escrow. That is why the project timetable, contract timetable and bank conditions must tell the same story.
Do not sign an extension simply because the sales office calls it a formality. Consent may change your legal position regarding delay. Keep notices, correspondence and evidence of construction progress. For a high-value purchase, have the complete contract reviewed by an independent lawyer who is not paid by the developer or broker.
Red flags before the first payment
- The project cannot be found under its official address, or the public data conflict with the advertisement.
- You are asked to pay a reservation fee before receiving the full contract and escrow details.
- The payment recipient is not one of the documented parties.
- A preliminary or internal company agreement is offered instead of a notarised and registered shared-construction contract.
- The unit cannot be identified by block, floor, number and plan.
- Handover has no fixed date or depends only on the developer’s decision.
- Important promises appear in chat but not in the contract or appendices.
- The sales manager will not allow time for review or objects to independent legal advice.
- Part of the price is requested in cash or omitted from the agreement.
A red flag is not automatically proof of fraud, but each one requires a written explanation and supporting documents. “Everyone buys this way” is not evidence.
Final checklist for a Tashkent new-build apartment
1. Record the official project name, address, block and developer details. 2. Verify the permit, design documentation, timetable and available official developer information. 3. Match the land rights and cadastral data. 4. Obtain the complete contract and every appendix before paying. 5. Confirm that the agreement will be notarised and registered. 6. Verify the authorised bank, tripartite arrangement and escrow details. 7. Match the unit, area, price, finish, dates and liability across all documents. 8. Pay only to the bank-confirmed account and retain evidence. 9. Do not sign an extension or specification change without understanding its effect. 10. After commissioning, inspect the unit, sign the transfer act and register ownership.
The practical conclusion is simple: a safe purchase starts with the route taken by the money and documents, not the colour of the future kitchen. Escrow reduces the risk of losing the purchase funds if construction fails, but it does not replace due diligence. Current homes can be explored in the [ROXU apartment catalogue](/?lang=en); the legal structure of a particular development should be confirmed before a reservation payment is made.