The Mayor of Tashkent, Shavkat Umurzakov, approved the action plan for implementing comprehensive development and renovation projects in the capital on August 25. This decision was made in accordance with the President's decree from February 24, which provides for the introduction of mechanisms for the comprehensive development of apartment buildings.
From March 1, 2026, to March 1, 2028, a special legal regime, known as a 'regulatory sandbox,' will be in effect in designated areas on an experimental basis. The responsibility for implementing such projects in Tashkent is assigned to the company Toshkent Invest.
The Reconstruction and Development Fund is obliged to provide investment companies operating in the comprehensive development territories with financing of $20 million over five years at an annual interest rate of 5%, with a two-year grace period provided.
Notification of Owners about Renovation
Within ten days, Toshkent Invest, together with the city administration of the Cadastre Chamber, must collect complete information about all real estate and its owners in the territories designated for comprehensive development. Renovation projects are planned for Yashnabadsky, Mirabadsky, and Sergelysky districts.
Special headquarters must be established in the mahalla buildings in these territories. Representatives of Toshkent Invest, district mayoralties, justice bodies, the Cadastre Chamber, the construction and housing and communal services department, and other agencies will participate in them. These headquarters will inform residents about the content of the project and all aspects related to renovation.
The mayors of the three districts and the deputy mayor of the capital are obliged to send official notifications to the owners within two days regarding the inclusion of their property in the renovation. They must also offer residents to contact the headquarters established in the mahallas to discuss compensation issues.
Proposals for Owners
Toshkent Invest has been tasked with negotiating with developers who are building residential complexes near the renovation zones. The goal of these negotiations is to develop options for providing owners with housing 'in exchange for equivalent' (o‘ringa o‘rin).
The company must also conduct separate negotiations with property owners, agreeing on forms of compensation and concluding notarized agreements. When selecting design organizations for creating master plans and development projects, the quality of the submitted proposals will be the criterion.
The Justice Department has been instructed to ensure the presence of notaries near the comprehensive development territories to formalize the necessary agreements. The projects of these agreements must be checked by both the prosecutor's office and the territorial department of the Anti-Corruption Agency.
Citizens who permanently reside in housing subject to renovation will be automatically registered in the new housing provided in exchange for the old. If a ban is placed on the property under enforcement proceedings, this ban must be promptly lifted after fulfilling the obligations. If the obligations have not yet been met, the ban may be temporarily lifted to finalize the agreement, after which it will be transferred to the new housing.
All debts or overpayments for utility services (electricity, water, heating, gas, waste removal) for the demolished object must also be transferred to the personal accounts of the new housing.
In addition, city authorities are mandated to take measures against illegally constructed apartment buildings that do not comply with urban planning standards or are deemed unfit based on instrumental and technical inspections.
Separately, the local administration must prepare proposals within two months to increase green areas and create one eco-park in each district of Tashkent.
In June, local authorities in Tashkent announced the start of work on renovation projects in Yashnabadsky, Mirabadsky, and Sergelysky districts. The Mayor of the capital, Shavkat Umurzakov, visited the mahallas 'Jarkurgan,' 'Abdurauf Fitrat,' and 'Khanabadtepa.' According to him, the main priority is to provide residents with equivalent housing in already completed new buildings so that they can move as quickly as possible, preferably in the same district or in the familiar urban environment.
On June 10, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the law on urban planning renovation, which will come into force in December. This law establishes requirements for public discussions, requires the consent of at least 80% of owners, regulates the procedure for paying compensation and providing temporary housing, and governs the participation of investors and judicial resolution of disputes. The law also prohibits pressuring owners who disagree with the plan.
Previously, at a meeting with the President, it was reported that renovation across the country could potentially affect about 17 thousand old two- and three-story buildings built before 1991. In 2026, it is planned to introduce at least 30 thousand apartments in the renovation zones of Uzbekistan, exceeding the target of 20 thousand apartments set for 2025.