The nota simple: the document you need to be able to read

What exactly is it?

The nota simple informativa is an extract from the Registro de la Propiedad, the Spanish land registry. It is the legally authoritative record for a property: what it says is what counts — not what the agent says, not what the listing promises. You order it online through the official registry website (registradores.org) for €9.02 + VAT; it arrives by email within 24–48 hours.

The five things to check in it

1. Titularidad (ownership). Is the seller genuinely the (sole) owner? With inherited property and divorces there are often several names — and all of them have to sign.
2. Cargas (charges). Mortgages, seizures (embargos), easements. An existing mortgage is not a problem provided it is redeemed at completion — but that has to be properly arranged. A tax authority embargo is a red flag.
3. Descripción (description). Does the registered surface area match what you are viewing? Are the pool and the extension included? Anything unregistered does not legally exist — and after completion that becomes your problem.
4. Referencia catastral. The reference linking the property to the Catastro (the tax register). Discrepancies between registro and catastro are a classic warning sign of unauthorised extensions.
5. The date. A nota simple is a snapshot. Order a fresh one just before the arras contract, and another just before the notary.

What the nota simple does NOT tell you

This is the trap on the other side: a clean nota simple does not mean everything is in order. It says nothing about:

• Building permits and habitability — that is town hall information (see the buying process);
• Outstanding community fees (comunidad) — for that you need a certificate from the community administrator;
• Unpaid IBI — request it from the town hall or via SUMA;
• Planning matters (compulsory purchase, coastal protection rules).

Full due diligence is therefore always a combination of registry, catastro, town hall and community — precisely the paper trail we work through for every property before you get to see it. More on that in the 7 biggest pitfalls.