Uzbekistan bans layout changes in apartment buildings older than 50 years

Under the new regulations, structural and layout modifications inside multi-family apartment buildings that have been in service for more than 50 years are now strictly prohibited. The only legal structural interventions allowed for these aging residential properties are works specifically designed to reinforce or strengthen the building's stability.

For newer real estate developments, the government is shifting the financial and structural liability back onto contractors. If a multi-unit residential property develops structural or systemic defects during its mandatory warranty period, the construction company must address the issue. Contractors who fail to comply with corrective directives issued by the Construction Inspection will face automatic penalty points, directly lowering their official corporate rating. Because public procurement choices and developer credentials increasingly rely on these national evaluation scores, lower ratings could limit their future market access.

Simultaneously, the decree eases bureaucratic processes during the initial blueprint phase of new real estate developments. Project planners will no longer need to repeat the formal design re-approval process if they make minor layout adjustments that do not violate urban planning codes. To qualify for this exemption, the modifications must keep the overall capacity and intended purpose of the building identical while having zero impact on structural integrity, general load-bearing stability, or active fire safety systems.