Before You Pay a Deposit: What to Check When Buying an Apartment in Tashkent
A practical route from the first viewing to the notary: cadastral records, restrictions, ownership, layout, deposit terms and a safer payment sequence.
Why a beautiful apartment is not enough
An apartment can win you over in seven minutes. The light is right, the kitchen is tidy and the courtyard feels calm; your mind has already moved the sofa in. Enjoy that moment. Then, until the deal is complete, become the mildly boring person who asks for documents. You only need to keep the role for a little while.
Checks are not based on the assumption that every seller is hiding something. Most trouble begins with haste: an advert uses an approximate address, the physical layout differs from the record, or one participant has not prepared the necessary consent. Run two tracks in parallel. One is personal — does the area, building, floor and apartment work for you? The other is documentary — is this exact property registered, who has authority to sell it, and can the transaction proceed now? Money should move only when both tracks meet.
Match the property to its cadastral record
Ask the seller for the current property record and cadastral number. Compare the address, area, designated use, floor and configuration with what you saw. If walls have moved, rooms have been joined or a new entrance has appeared, ask whether those changes are reflected in the documents. “Everyone in the building did it” may sound comforting, but it does not update a cadastral record.
Uzbekistan’s [Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services](https://my.gov.uz/ru/service/248) describes state registration as producing a document that confirms the registered right to real estate. The same official service information notes that a court dispute, prohibition or seizure may prevent registration. Do not rely on a cropped photograph of the first page sent through a messenger. The number, address and characteristics should be legible and refer to the apartment you actually viewed. A mismatch is not a reason for an argument; it is a reason to pause payment and obtain a clear explanation.
Check restrictions and the people in the deal
For Tashkent property, my.gov.uz describes a free service that supplies information about seizures and prohibitions. Its [official service page](https://my.gov.uz/ru/service/116) says the request uses the cadastral number and property address. The portal also offers an [automatic cadastral prohibition check](https://my.gov.uz/ru/service/471/).
Check the people as carefully as the apartment. The seller’s identity should match the registered rights information. If a representative is acting, read the power of attorney and confirm its scope: may that person sign, receive funds and complete this particular transaction? Where there are several owners, agree with the notary in advance on how each must participate. An inheritance, share, minor, mortgage or court history deserves case-specific advice from a notary or lawyer before any money changes hands.
Ask who is registered or actually living in the apartment and when it will be vacant. Keys, belongings, utility payments and the move-out date belong in a written understanding, not in two people’s shared memory. Shared memory has an impressive ability to become two different stories after a transaction.
View the apartment a second time
The first viewing answers “Do I like it?” The second should answer “What exactly am I buying?” Visit at another time of day if possible. Test water pressure, electricity, windows, heating and the lift; look for dampness. Fresh paint is not suspicious by itself, but corners, pipes, the electrical panel and ceiling are part of the price too.
Compare the physical plan with the records. List what stays: fitted furniture, appliances, air conditioners and light fixtures. Keep agreed photographs of the condition. Then walk through the courtyard and nearby streets. A morning school route, evening noise, parking pressure, public transport and a construction site behind the next fence may not fit into an advert, but they fit very neatly into everyday life. ROXU’s [Tashkent apartment catalogue](/kvartiry-v-tashkente) is a useful place to compare locations and asking prices; the final impression should still be tested on foot.
Put clear deposit terms in writing
Two parties may use the word “deposit” while meaning different things. Before transferring funds, record the property, amount, target transaction date, full price, currency and payment method, each side’s obligations, items included with the apartment, and what happens if the deal does not proceed. Have the wording reviewed for the specific situation.
Do not pay merely to “hold the option” before seeing the records and understanding who receives the money. The recipient, basis and purpose of the payment must be clear. If a simple question produces a complicated answer, slow down. The apartment will not become worse; your decision will become better.
For a staged settlement, write the sequence: what is paid before notarisation, what follows it, how receipt is confirmed and when keys are delivered. Do not assume everyone understands the same order. A transaction day already carries enough emotion; a written sequence removes unnecessary tension.
What happens at the notary
Uzbekistan’s government information states that a residential sale contract requires notarisation. The official electronic service for a real estate purchase, exchange or gift describes an application entering the Notary system, an automatic debt check, a visit by the parties to a notary, and the notary sending information to the cadastral authority. The sequence appears on the [Unified Public Services Portal](https://oldmy.gov.uz/en/service/25).
The right must then be registered. The Cadastral Agency explains that an online registration application includes the document providing the legal basis; the authority checks the property, the applicant pays the assessed fee and receives an extract from the register. The published service period is two working days. The process is described by the [official Digital Government portal](https://www.digital.gov.uz/ru/kadastr/news/view/51825).
Before the appointment, ask the chosen notary for the current list of documents, participants and payments required in your case. Official processes evolve, and private circumstances differ. One call in advance is less exciting than improvising at the notary’s desk — and usually much shorter.
The final check before payment
- The cadastral number, address, area and plan match the viewed apartment.
- The owner’s identity and any representative’s authority are confirmed.
- Prohibitions, seizures, mortgages and relevant court issues have been checked.
- Every required owner and consent has been accounted for.
- The total price, currency, payment stages and recipient are written down.
- The apartment’s condition, included items, vacancy date and key handover are recorded.
- Both parties understand the notarisation and subsequent registration process.
If one point remains foggy, postpone the payment rather than common sense. A sound transaction can withstand scrutiny. In fact, it usually feels calmer afterwards: anxiety gives way to a plan, and the apartment starts looking less like a folder of risks and more like a future home.
This article provides general information, not individual legal advice. For a complex or disputed transaction, ask a notary or lawyer to review the actual documents.