Uylari.uz editorial

How to check an apartment cadastral passport before buying in Tashkent

A step-by-step check of the cadastral passport, state-register extract, restrictions and whether the apartment’s actual layout matches its records.

A cadastral passport is often treated as the single document that decides whether an apartment is safe to buy. Its role is narrower: it describes the property and its technical characteristics in the cadastral system. The registered right is reflected in the state-register extract, while prohibitions and other restrictions require a separate check. None of these records alone proves that the physical layout matches the plan.

Recent Russian, Uzbek and English search results about buying a Tashkent apartment repeatedly surface questions about cadastral records, altered layouts and property verification. That indicates practical search intent, not an absolute monthly volume. This guide deals specifically with the cadastral layer. It complements rather than replaces a notary, an engineer and a broader transaction review.

Passport, register extract and title basis

The cadastral passport describes the address, cadastral number, area, configuration and other technical details. The state-register extract concerns registered rights and register entries. The legal basis may be a sale agreement, inheritance document, court decision or another instrument on which registration was based. A buyer should understand how all three relate to the same apartment.

Uzbekistan’s official register page explains that the register contains information about real estate, rights and right holders. The my.gov.uz portal separately provides a free verification service for an extract and cadastral passport. A photograph sent in a chat is therefore only a starting point. The document should be checked through the official source and matched to the property being viewed.

A modern-looking file does not necessarily contain the latest facts. The area, number or registered right may have changed later. An old cadastral number does not automatically mean a defect either: an official service can identify a changed number. Every discrepancy needs an official explanation rather than an assumption.

What to request before paying a deposit

Ask for the complete cadastral passport, including every page and plan, a recent register extract and the document forming the basis of title. Have the seller show originals or official electronic documents so that the number, address, right holder and date can be compared. Personal data should not be published or passed to unrelated people; use it only for the specific transaction.

Before any non-refundable payment, ask whether rooms were combined, a kitchen or bathroom was moved, a balcony, loggia or shared area was incorporated, a new opening was made, or the use of the premises changed. Ask even when the renovation is old. “It was already like this when I bought it” does not establish that the cadastral record was updated.

Define exactly what is being sold: the entire apartment or a share, residential or non-residential premises, one cadastral property or several. A listing may use a familiar landmark instead of the formal address, so compare it with the registered address and cadastral number. Price, furniture and handover terms matter, but they do not identify the legal object.

Checking the extract and number online

The my.gov.uz portal offers a free automatic check of a cadastral passport and state-register extract. The official davreestr.uz site also describes how an owner can find an existing extract by cadastral number through a personal account. Type the portal address yourself instead of following a link from an unknown intermediary.

Compare every character of the cadastral number. Then match the address, property type, area and registered-right details with the passport and title basis. If the service does not find the property, do not substitute a similar number. Ask the owner to clarify the record with the cadastral authority. Where a number has changed, connect the result of the dedicated official service back to the documents for this apartment.

Online verification shows whether the presented extract corresponds with the service at the time of the request. It is not an engineering survey and says nothing about walls, utilities or renovation quality. Record the check date and document details in your private working notes without creating a public store of personal data.

Reading the plan and area

Start with the basic configuration: entrance, outside perimeter, rooms, kitchen, bathrooms, corridors, balcony or loggia. Walk through the apartment in the same sequence. Use neutral notes such as “the plan shows a door; the opening is closed on site” or “the plan shows a partition; the space is open on site”. Do not give a legal diagnosis based on a viewing alone.

Compare the advertised total area with the cadastral document. A small difference may have a technical explanation, but the buyer should not invent it. Ask for an official record or clarification from a cadastral specialist. Measuring wall lengths yourself is not a substitute: the method for accounting for particular spaces may differ from a simple household calculation.

Pay particular attention where wet areas, the outer perimeter, entrance, façade or structural elements have changed. The current version of Resolution No. 200 on LexUZ exempts some non-load-bearing work from the permit requirement, but expressly excludes replanning premises in apartment buildings from that general exemption. The statement “no load-bearing structure changed” therefore does not itself prove that no permit route applied to the apartment. The competent authority and qualified professionals should classify the actual work and determine the necessary documents.

Do not identify a load-bearing wall by sight. Thickness, material and position offer clues, not proof. If the physical arrangement differs or the seller reports a new structural opening, request design and approval documents and consult an engineer. Until resolved, do not count disputed space as a benefit or make an irreversible payment.

Restrictions are a separate check

A matching passport and plan do not answer whether a prohibition, attachment, mortgage or other restriction exists. The my.gov.uz portal has a separate service for checking a prohibition on a cadastral property. Uzbekistan’s justice guidance on acquiring housing recommends checking the seller’s right, cadastral details, prohibitions, attachments, mortgages, co-owners and registered occupants before the agreement.

Repeat the restriction check as close to completion as practical because status can change. A notary obtains many details through inter-agency systems, but the buyer should prepare questions in advance and should not treat an old screenshot as the final result. Co-ownership, acquisition during marriage or a minor’s property rights can change the consents and evidence required. Discuss the actual documents with the notary.

The cadastral check also does not settle debts, payment mechanics or vacant possession. Record when money and keys change hands, which contents remain, who pays charges up to handover and what meter readings are entered in the handover record. Precise identification of the property helps connect these obligations with the apartment that will actually be delivered.

Responding to a discrepancy

Do not solve a mismatch by asking the seller to replace one page of a file or write an informal explanation. Create a table showing what appears in the listing, passport, extract, title basis and physical apartment. For every difference, name the official document that should explain it and the person responsible for obtaining that evidence. The table does not cure the issue, but it prevents it from disappearing among photographs and messages.

If the problem concerns register information, the owner can use the free my.gov.uz service for applying to edit property information. The portal states a three-working-day service period and says that no documents are required to submit the application. This service description does not promise that every complex physical alteration will be resolved in three days. The cadastral authority may require a legal basis or a different process.

Where a new residential cadastral passport is required, my.gov.uz gives a preparation period of up to five working days for an apartment in a multi-apartment building. The authority measures the property, sends an invoice and prepares the passport. The fee follows current cadastral tariffs, so confirm it in the live service rather than copying an old amount from an article or receipt.

A buyer is better placed when a material discrepancy is officially corrected and the extract is checked again before completion. The parties can record who pays and the deadline for obtaining the updated documents. Have a notary or independent lawyer review any preliminary agreement and the consequences of withdrawal before money is transferred.

A practical sequence

Start with theUylari.uz apartment catalogueand retain the exact listing number for each shortlisted property. Before viewing, request the passport, extract and title basis. Verify the official extract and cadastral number, then compare the entrance, rooms, wet areas, outer perimeter and area on site. Check prohibitions separately and prepare questions for the notary about ownership, consents and registration.

After the viewing, classify each result as matching, requiring a document, or requiring a technical or legal opinion. Do not confuse a cosmetic defect with a register discrepancy. A scratched floor affects condition and price; a different property outline affects identification and formal records. Assign an evidence item, specialist and recheck date to each unresolved point.

Conclusion

A sound cadastral review is not built around one image of a passport. It links the official number, current extract, title basis, plan, physical apartment and a separate restrictions check. Agreement along that chain does not assess renovation quality or replace notarisation, but it gives the buyer a clear list of confirmed and unresolved matters. If the records differ, the sensible next step is to correct and document the cause and then repeat the check, rather than treating uncertainty as something a discount or oral promise can fix.