Nearly 38,000 Illegally Built Apartments Identified in Uzbekistan

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Since 2018–2019 to the present day, illegal residential construction involving nearly 38,000 apartments has been identified in Uzbekistan. This was announced on 17 December by Minister of Construction and Housing and Communal Services Sherzod Khidoyatov during an open dialogue with entrepreneurs.

According to the minister, the constructed facilities were deemed illegal based on a number of criteria. These include the absence of permits for land use or the relevant decision of the khokim, failure to submit project documentation for review by the Architectural and Urban Planning Council, the lack of mandatory state expertise assessing building safety, and the absence of registration with the Inspectorate for Control in the Field of Construction and Housing and Communal Services under the Cabinet of Ministers.

To address the situation, a special working group has been established to deal with illegally constructed facilities comprising around 38,000 apartments. Its representatives conduct on-site inspections and assess buildings in terms of seismic resistance. This is followed by instrumental technical examinations carried out by design institutes in cooperation with experienced structural engineers. Based on the results of these inspections, the required documentation is prepared and fines are imposed for identified violations.

Khidoyatov clarified that the issue concerns both fully completed residential buildings and projects still under construction. He noted that a significant portion of such housing has already been sold to the public. At the instruction of the President, a special commission is currently reviewing the issue of formally accepting these facilities.

Earlier this summer, the Tashkent city administration reported the suspension of construction work at 59 illegal sites. The largest number of violations was recorded in the Yangihayot district of the capital, followed by the Mirabad and Mirzo Ulugbek districts.