Selling, renting, and bequeathing property to become easier in Uzbekistan

This year, 400,000 individual houses will be added to the UZKAD system in Uzbekistan, significantly simplifying the processes of selling, renting, bequeathing, and mortgaging real estate. This was announced on April 29 during a presentation to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev regarding progress in land accounting, cadastral service development, and future goals.

Officials noted that over 6.3 million individual homes will eventually be integrated into the UZKAD system. This digital platform ensures the authenticity and legal recognition of property, backed by the state.

The presentation highlighted a major issue in real estate transactions: the considerable gap between cadastral and market values of properties. This discrepancy distorts legal and financial dealings. In response, a Presidential Decree issued on March 5 introduced a mass property valuation system. To implement this, the National Center for Mass Valuation of Real Estate was established under the Cadastre Agency, receiving 40 billion sums in funding and support from qualified specialists. Practical work has already begun.

Mass valuation efforts will begin this year in Tashkent and will later expand to Nukus, regional centers, and other areas across the country.

President Mirziyoyev emphasized that accurate cadastral data is critical for effective economic planning. He instructed relevant agencies to reduce bureaucracy, enhance the quality of cadastral services, and create favorable conditions for entrepreneurs.

For context, Uzbekistan has approximately 45 million hectares of land. By 2021, only 1 million hectares were state-registered. However, with the creation of a unified digital system, 42 million hectares—or 94 percent of the total—have now been registered. This includes full state registration of forest and water funds, and protected natural areas. Additionally, 100 percent of information on 13 types of state cadastre—covering areas like transport, communications, geodesy, energy, and roads—has been compiled. Work on seven remaining areas is nearing completion.

The regulation of real estate ownership remains a central issue. The UZKAD system addresses this by establishing a single database that guarantees the legitimacy of real estate holdings. All residential and non-residential buildings are being registered within this system. To date, information has been entered for 150,000 residential properties, 707,000 non-residential premises, and 44,000 multi-storey buildings.

It was also noted that millions of citizens previously lacked legal rights to their own homes. This issue is being addressed through the Law of the Republic of Uzbekistan “On Recognition of Rights to Land Plots Occupied by Arbitrary Occupation and Buildings and Structures Constructed on Them,” adopted on August 5, 2024. As of January this year, documentation for such properties is being formalized and handed over to their rightful owners.