The Registro de la Propiedad (Spain's Land Registry) is the public body that guarantees legal certainty in property transactions in Spain. Any right in rem over a property (ownership, a mortgage, a usufruct, a seizure order) can only be enforced against third parties if it is recorded in the Registry. For an investor, checking it before any deal is not optional.
What information the Registry holds
- Ownership: Who the current owner is and how they acquired the property
- Charges: Outstanding mortgages (with the approximate capital still owed), easements, usufructs
- Seizure orders and cautionary entries: Court-ordered restrictions affecting the property
- Registry description: Floor area, boundaries, cadastral reference
- Marginal notes: Enforcement proceedings under way
The Nota Simple: how to get it
The Nota Simple informativa is the Land Registry extract: a summary of what the Registry holds on a specific property. You can get it through the portal of the Colegio de Registradores (Spain's association of land registrars), registradores.org, or in person at the relevant registry office. Cost: around €9 online. It's the basic due diligence document you can't do without before any purchase.
Registry vs Catastro: the key differences
The Registry guarantees rights in rem (ownership, charges). The Catastro (Spain's property cadastre) reflects the physical characteristics and the administrative value. The information in the two may not match (different floor areas, different owners): in the event of a conflict, the Registry's information prevails as regards property rights.
See also: the complete guide to the Nota Simple. On RadarPro, every auction asset includes a registry analysis of known charges.
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