Nota simple: preparing for review

What the extract shows and what it does not prove

A nota simple is an information extract from the Registro de la Propiedad (the Spanish land registry). It summarises what is recorded about the property (the finca): its description, the holders of rights, the extent and nature of those rights, and any prohibitions or restrictions. Its value is purely informative: it does not certify the entries (article 222 of the Ley Hipotecaria). Only a certificación registral proves to third parties that a property is free of charges or encumbered (article 225).

The extract reflects the position on the day it was issued. Registry sources give no period of validity, so the extract used for the first check and the one used for signing the escritura (the notarial deed of sale) should be different. How to order one is covered in what a nota simple is.

Ordering it without complications

• Interest. The request must state a legitimate interest, such as a purchase. The registrador assesses it, and the owner of the finca can find out who asked and why. Give the real reason.
• Property identifier. Registry details from the seller's escritura or an earlier extract work best: Registro, municipality, finca number. Without them you can search by IDUFIR, the owner's name or NIF, the address or on the map.
• Date. Save the file and the date of the request in the property folder. That date later tells you whether a fresh extract is needed.
• Cost. The Colegio de Registradores page shows 9.02 € per property, possibly before taxes. The final amount appears on the order screen.

What to check against the property and the deal

Ask your adviser to put the extract next to the listing, the seller's documents and the draft contract. Record each discrepancy on its own line, with a date and the name of whoever has to answer it.

What a nota simple does not show

• Debts to the comunidad de propietarios (the owners' association of the building). In Catalonia the seller must hand over a certificate from the association's secretary stating any debts (article 553-5 of Book Five of the Civil Code of Catalonia).
• IBI (the annual municipal property tax). Ask the seller for the receipt; the notary requests information on payment.
• Tenants. The extract will not tell you whether someone lives in the flat. A buyer of a let flat takes over the landlord's rights and obligations on the terms of article 14 of the LAU, and the tenant has a right of first refusal (article 25 LAU). You need a viewing and a direct question to the seller.
• The Generalitat's right of first refusal (tanteo). Ley 11/2025 extended it to certain sales in stressed housing market areas. Ask the notary whether the property is affected.
• Physical condition. That is a matter for the viewing and a technical specialist, not the registry.

When to show the extract to a lawyer

Before the deposit, if the extract shows an attachment, a usufruct, several owners with different shares or an entry you cannot interpret, or if the seller acts under a power of attorney. Whether a certificación is needed instead of a nota simple is for the notary or the lawyer to decide. If the extract does not match the seller's documents, do not pay a deposit until the reason is clear.

ReloVictory is not a law firm. We gather the extract, the documents and the list of questions; the legal assessment comes from a lawyer. How the check fits with the deposit contract is explained in nota simple and arras, and the notary's role in the escritura and the notary.

Guide updated on 26.10.2026.