How to Check an Apartment Before Buying in Yerevan: the Cadastre Extract

Why it all starts with the Cadastre

In Armenia, property rights are recorded by the Cadastre Committee. The owner is whoever is entered in the state register, not the person holding the keys, an old occupancy warrant or “all the papers”. That is why any apartment, even one sold by friends, is checked against the register.

The document that shows this is called a unified extract (միասնական տեղեկանք in Armenian), usually just “the Cadastre extract”. Anyone can order it, not only the owner, so you do not need the seller's consent. The extract is valid for 15 working days. If you are buying with a mortgage, the bank will also order an extract and check the apartment, but that check is done for the bank; it protects your interests as a buyer only in part.

How to order the extract

1. Ask the seller for the address, the ownership certificate number or the cadastral code; any one of them is enough.
2. Go to e-cadastre.am and log in with your email and password or through the ԵսԵմ (EsEm) identification system.
3. Choose the “Unified extract” section and enter the apartment details; the system fills in the address itself.
4. Pick the processing time and pay by card on the site or through e-payments.am.
5. The receipt and confirmation arrive by email, and the finished extract appears in your list of applications.

Prices are from the state services portal hartak.am as of September 2026. If the online office gives you trouble, the Cadastre's advisory centres in Yerevan can help: Shengavit (33 Manandyan St) and Kentron (1/3 P. Buzand St). The office at 35/2 Komitas Ave closed on 1 June 2026.

What to look for in the extract

• Owners. Compare the names with passports. If there are several owners, all of them must sell, in person or through a power of attorney.
• Address and cadastral code. They must match what goes into the contract.
• Area. If the real apartment differs noticeably from the registered one, there may be an unapproved redevelopment.
• Restrictions. An arrest, a mortgage and other third-party rights are listed in the extract. Any such entry is a reason to stop and sort things out before paying a deposit.
• Date. An extract older than 15 working days no longer reflects the current situation.

You can also check the seller's ownership certificate: certificates issued since 1 July 2019 carry a number and password that confirm their authenticity on the Cadastre website. But a certificate is a snapshot of the day it was issued, while the extract shows the situation today.

What the extract won't show

• Debts for gas, electricity, water and building maintenance: ask for recent receipts or statements from the suppliers.
• Who is registered as living in the apartment: ask the seller directly and agree with the notary who will deregister and when.
• A spouse's rights. If the apartment was bought during a marriage, the sale usually needs the husband's or wife's notarised consent, even if the extract lists one owner.
• Disputes that have not yet led to an arrest: claims by relatives, an inheritance that was never formalised.
• The real condition: damp, wiring, neighbours. Only a viewing shows that.

You do not need to chase property tax debts separately: since 2022 notaries and the Cadastre check them online, and if there is a debt, registration of the deal is suspended until it is paid.

Warning signs

Most sellers are honest, but some signs mean you should slow down and double-check everything.

• The seller pushes for a deposit and gives you no time to order an extract.
• The price is well below the market for no clear reason.
• The owner in the extract and the person at the viewing are different people, and the explanations don't add up.
• The apartment is sold under a power of attorney, and the owner “can't be reached”.
• The right was registered very recently and the apartment is being sold again, especially if it had just passed by gift or inheritance.
• The seller asks you to transfer money to someone else's account or to pay cash before the visit to the notary.

The “Verified by the Cadastre” badge on tuk-tuk

Listings for which the seller has uploaded a Cadastre extract get the “Verified by the Cadastre” badge on tuk-tuk. The exact address and cadastral number are not shown to other users; you ask the seller for them when it is time to check.

The badge is a handy filter at the start: such sellers are not afraid to show documents, and you save time on obviously problematic options. But it does not replace your own check. The extract behind a listing was made on a certain date, and an arrest or mortgage may appear later. Before the deposit, order a fresh extract; on the day of the deal the notary will check the register once more.

When to check: four moments

1. Before the viewing: ask the seller for the certificate number or cadastral code. A refusal without a reason is a warning sign.
2. Before the deposit: order a fresh unified extract and compare it with the seller's passport.
3. On the day of the deal: the notary checks the register and tax debts. If more than two weeks have passed since your extract, order a new one.
4. After registration: order an extract in your own name and make sure you are recorded as the owner.

Did you check the apartment with the Cadastre before buying? Yes, I ordered the extract myselfI relied on the notaryNo, but next time I willI haven't bought yet

Key points

• The owner is whoever is recorded in the Cadastre. Every check starts with the unified extract.
• Anyone can order the extract on e-cadastre.am: from 10,000 ֏ for three working days to 60,000 ֏ for two hours.
• Look at the owners, the area and the restrictions; the extract is valid for 15 working days.
• Check utility debts, registered residents and a spouse's rights separately.
• The “Verified by the Cadastre” badge saves time, but order your own fresh extract before the deposit.