Azerbaijan property amnesty proposed for undocumented homes

Debates are intensifying in Azerbaijan regarding the legalization of hundreds of thousands of undocumented residential properties. A significant portion of these structures are built on land designated for agricultural use, preventing owners from obtaining legal titles or extracts.

Metin Aynullayev, head of the State Service on Property Matters, noted that undocumented buildings fall into two categories: those with non-legitimate documents and those built without any documentation due to unauthorized land use, lack of permits, or violation of construction norms. Under the Civil Code, unauthorized construction does not grant property rights.

Vugar Orudz, chairman of the Azerbaijan Appraisers Association, suggested that an “emlak amnistiyası” (property amnesty) could be a solution. He proposed changing the status of agricultural land to residential to allow these homes to enter the formal economy, enabling taxation, insurance, and legal inheritance. Critics, including economist Natiq Jafarli, argue that the responsibility should not fall solely on citizens, questioning why state entities provided utility services like gas and water to these properties for years if they were considered illegal.