Renting an Apartment in Baku as a Foreigner: Contract and Registration

Yes. There is no special permit to rent a flat as a foreigner, whether you are a tourist, a student or a worker. Most flats are found through listing sites, agents and word of mouth. What matters legally is not the search but the paperwork afterwards: your address registration and, if you will live here, the papers your residence permit needs.

Rents vary a lot by district, building age and season, so we do not quote prices here. Compare several listings and visit before you pay anything.

• Ask to see the owner's property extract, called kupça (çıxarış from the state property register). The name on it should match the owner's ID card.
• If an agent or relative rents it out, ask for the owner's power of attorney or meet the owner.
• Agree in writing on the rent, the currency, the deposit, who pays utilities and internet, and the notice period.
• Take photos of every room and the meters on the day you move in.
• Never send a deposit for a flat you have not seen, and be careful with prices far below similar listings.
• Ask the owner directly: will you register me and sign the consent for my residence permit? If the answer is no, choose another flat if you plan to stay long.

A written contract protects both sides and is one of the housing papers the migration service accepts. Write it in Azerbaijani with a translation you understand, or in two languages. It should name the owner and the tenant with ID details, the address, the term, the rent and the deposit, and be signed by both.

Some owners prefer not to sign a contract. That may be fine for a short stay where the owner still registers you, but for a residence permit you need either a contract or the owner's kupça together with the owner's consent. If the owner cannot come to the office in person, their consent usually has to be notarised. Whether the contract itself must be notarised is not clearly stated on an official page, so ask the office where you will file.

A foreigner who stays more than 15 days must have the place of stay registered within 15 days of arrival. The law calls the owner or host the receiving party, and the owner normally files it. You may also file it yourself, which is a good idea if you are not sure it was done. Registration is free, done online, by email, at a migration office or at ASAN Service, and confirmed within 1 working day.

Both sides can be fined. A foreigner without registration faces AZN 300 to 400; an owner who does not register or deregister a foreigner faces AZN 300 to 500. Full steps: address registration.

1. 1

   Move in

   Note the date. If you came from a hotel, the hotel registration covers only the hotel.

2. 2

   Within 15 days of arrival

   The owner files the registration, or you file it with the owner's papers. Ask for the confirmation.

3. 3

   When you move again

   Register at the new address within 5 working days. No new registration is needed if the new flat belongs to the same owner.

Your housing papers are part of every residence permit application and renewal. Before you sign a one year lease, make sure it covers the date you will file. If your contract ends during the permit, keep the new contract ready.

There is one hard deadline to know. If the owner asks the migration service to remove you from the address, you must bring a document for a new home within 10 working days, or the permit is cancelled. Moving out on good terms, with a new flat ready, avoids this. See TRC documents and the residence permit overview.

A permit holder who leaves a flat without a new registered home risks losing the permit. Plan the move before you give notice.

• Deposits are common and there is no official standard amount. Write the amount and the return conditions in the contract.
• Utilities (electricity, gas, water) are usually on meters in the flat. Agree who pays and keep receipts.
• Get receipts or bank transfers for every rent payment.
• If a dispute starts, put it in writing first. For legal advice, see a lawyer; a list of offices that help foreigners is in offices.
• Never give the owner your passport to keep. A copy is enough for registration.

Renting brings three deadlines that are easy to miss: 15 days after arrival for registration, 5 working days after a move, and 10 working days if an owner removes a permit holder. In Sroky you tap "I arrived" or "I moved", and the app counts the days and reminds you until the registration is done. Sroky is a private app; the registration itself is always with the State Migration Service.