Checking the owner and documents of an Almaty apartment before you pay anything

You can check who owns an apartment in Kazakhstan with an F-2 certificate from eGov, the government services portal: it shows the owner and whether there is an arrest, a mortgage or another encumbrance. But the certificate covers only part of the risk. Spousal consent, heirs, powers of attorney, registered residents and, for new builds, registration of the DDU at Kazreestr are checked separately, and I do this before you hand over a deposit.

In short

The F-2 certificate of registered rights and encumbrances is ordered in eGov Mobile or on egov.kz; a third party gets it only with the owner's consent
Ownership arises only after state registration; standard registration takes 3 working days, fast-track about 2 hours
A deal made without the spouse's consent can be challenged in court; the usual limitation period is 3 years from when the spouse learned of the violation
The authenticity and status of a notarized power of attorney can be checked by QR code on ENIS.kz
As of March 2026 Kazreestr had registered more than 200,000 shared participation agreements and 1,300 buildings under construction

How to check the owner of an apartment in Kazakhstan

The first document I ask for is the certificate of registered rights and encumbrances (form 2, usually called F-2). It is ordered in eGov Mobile under "Real estate" or on egov.kz. If you request it rather than the owner, the owner has to give consent from their personal account or by SMS. Refusing to give consent is already a reason to think twice.

I compare the certificate with the seller's passport, the title document (a purchase, gift or inheritance certificate) and the technical passport. The name, area, address and cadastral number must match to the letter.

How to find out if an apartment is under arrest, pledged or mortgaged

Everything registered shows up in the same F-2 certificate: a bank pledge, an arrest for debts, a ban on sale. A mortgaged apartment can be sold legally, but only through a scheme agreed with the bank, otherwise the pledge stays on it after the deal.

I also check separately whether the seller has any enforcement proceedings. Debts that haven't yet turned into an arrest can become one between the deposit and the deal. That's why I order the certificate twice: at the first check and on the day the contract is signed.

Is the spouse's consent needed to sell an apartment

If the apartment was bought during a marriage, as a general rule it is joint property, even if only one spouse is named in the documents. The other spouse's consent is needed for a sale, and notaries usually require it in notarized form. Consent can also be given online through eGov with a digital signature (EDS).

Without consent, the spouse can ask a court to declare the deal invalid. The risk remains after a divorce if the property was never formally divided. I ask the seller for their marital status on the date the apartment was bought, not just today.

Heirs, powers of attorney and registered residents

The apartment was inherited

This is the most common story with a surprise. If the inheritance was registered recently, other heirs may appear who missed the deadline and want it restored. I look at the date of the certificate, who the heirs are and whether any of them are minors: selling an apartment in which a child has a share requires permission from the guardianship authority.

It is being sold under a power of attorney

That's normal in itself, but I check the power of attorney on ENIS.kz by its QR code: whether it is valid, when it was issued, its registry number. I read whether it includes the right to sell and the right to receive the money. And I try to talk to the owner themselves, at least by video.

Someone is registered at the apartment

Registered residents don't prevent registration of title, but getting them deregistered later can be hard, especially if they are the seller's relatives. I write a condition into the contract that they are deregistered before the keys are handed over.

How to check a new build and its DDU at Kazreestr

In a new build the only legal contract is a shared participation agreement (DDU, the standard contract for buying off-plan) on the standard form, registered with Kazreestr. The law bans reservations, "investment contracts" and preliminary agreements. Payment is allowed only by bank transfer and only after the DDU is registered.

A developer raises money under one of three schemes: with a guarantee from the Kazakhstan Housing Company (KZhK), with a bank's participation, or after the frame is built. I check the building in Kazreestr and eGov Mobile, the akimat (city hall) permit, the financing scheme and the developer's record of completed buildings. If the frame is already up, I ask for the concrete certificates: in 2019 I had my own concrete plant in Burunday and know what these documents should look like.

Watch out for double sales and forged documents

A double sale usually looks like this: the seller takes a deposit from two buyers, and sometimes even manages to sign a contract with one while the other is waiting for the deal. The second buyer then spends years in court over their money. On the resale market this is possible until the title is registered to you; in new builds it was the main problem for shared-construction buyers before Kazreestr appeared.

Signs that make me stop a deal: the seller is rushing and offers a discount for speed, won't consent to the certificate request, wants the deposit in cash without a receipt, the ownership documents are very recent and the price is well below market. One sign isn't enough, but two or three together are a reason to check everything again.

For legal conclusions in complex cases (an inheritance involving children, a dispute between spouses, a power of attorney from abroad), I check with a notary and a partner lawyer for your specific property.

What my check covers

I have a law degree, and I start with the documents, not the renovation. The check is part of purchase support; we fix the price in writing before we start, and the commission on the deal starts at 1%.

An F-2 certificate at the first check and on the day of the deal
Comparing the title documents, the technical passport and the seller's passport
Marital status on the purchase date, spousal consent, children's shares
Inheritance, powers of attorney, registered residents
For new builds: the DDU at Kazreestr, the financing scheme, permits and the developer
A written opinion: whether a deposit can be paid and on what terms

I'll check the apartment before your deposit

Send me the listing link or the address. I'll tell you which documents to ask the seller for and check them before you pay.

Message on WhatsApp

Questions and answers

How do I check an apartment owner in Kazakhstan online?

Order the F-2 certificate of registered rights and encumbrances in eGov Mobile or on egov.kz. If you are not the owner requesting it, you need the owner's online consent. Compare the details with the seller's passport and the title document.

How can I find out if an apartment is pledged or under arrest?

Registered pledges, arrests and bans appear in the F-2 certificate. It's worth ordering it twice, at the first check and on the day the contract is signed, because an arrest can appear in between.

Is spousal consent needed when buying an apartment in Kazakhstan?

To sell an apartment bought during a marriage, the other spouse's consent is needed, usually notarized. Without it the deal can be challenged in court, so I check the seller's marital status on the date the apartment was bought.

How do I check a power of attorney to sell an apartment?

Scan the QR code on the power of attorney. It leads to ENIS.kz, which shows whether the document is valid, its issue date and registry number. Make sure it's the official site that opens, and read whether the representative has the right to sell and to receive the money.

How do I check a new build in Kazakhstan before buying?

Find the building in Kazreestr or in the under-construction property check in eGov Mobile, and check the permit to raise funds or the KZhK guarantee. Sign only the standard DDU and pay by bank transfer after it is registered.

Is it risky to buy an inherited apartment?

Not if the inheritance was registered correctly and the heirs are clear. The risk is higher when the certificate was issued recently or there are children among the heirs. I go through such cases together with a notary.

What is a double sale of an apartment?

It's when a seller takes a deposit or money from two buyers for the same apartment. You are protected by checking the certificate on the day of the deal, a written deposit agreement and paying only through a scheme agreed with the notary.