Glossary
Buying, land registry and notary
Buying a home, contracts, notarial formalities, the Registro de la Propiedad, taxes and charges affecting property.
Actos jurídicos documentados (documented legal acts tax) (Actos jurídicos documentados, AJD)
A tax category that can apply to particular notarial documents and other acts where legal requirements are met. In housing transactions, it may apply alongside other taxes according to the circumstances. Cost depends on the applicable regime; not every deed generates identical taxation.Related terms: Escritura pública de compraventa (notarial sale deed), Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido (value added tax)
Arras confirmatorias (confirmatory deposit) (Arras confirmatorias, deposit confirming the sale contract)
A payment confirming a contract's existence, usually counted towards the price according to the agreement. It does not, by itself, give a right to withdraw by paying or forfeiting that sum. Buyers must distinguish it from other arras to understand consequences of not completing the transaction.Related terms: Contrato de arras (deposit agreement), Arras penitenciales (withdrawal deposit)
Arras penales (penalty deposit) (Arras penales, contractual penalty arras)
A payment or provision linked to a sale establishing a financial consequence for particular breaches. Scope depends on wording and the penalty clause's legal regime. It does not necessarily allow free abandonment of the contract and differs from arras permitting an agreed right of withdrawal.Related terms: Arras penitenciales (withdrawal deposit), Breach of contractStandard or law: Código Civil, arts. 1152 a 1155
Arras penitenciales (withdrawal deposit) (Arras penitenciales, deposit permitting agreed withdrawal)
A payment agreed to permit withdrawal from a sale under prescribed terms. Under the Código Civil, Spain's civil code, the buyer forfeits it and the seller returns twice the amount if they withdraw under that regime. This right must actually be agreed, not inferred merely from the word deposit.Related terms: Contrato de arras (deposit agreement), Arras penales (penalty deposit)Standard or law: Código Civil, art. 1454
Carga registral (registered charge or restriction) (Carga registral, registered property burden)
A right, charge or restriction recorded in the registry that can affect a property's ownership or disposal. It includes different types of entry. Buyers must establish scope and cancellation where appropriate, because paying a debt does not always automatically remove its corresponding registry entry.Related terms: Hipoteca (mortgage security), Embargo (attachment of assets)
Certificación registral (formal registry certificate) (Certificación registral, land registry certification)
A public document issued by the registrar establishing registry contents within the scope requested. It has effects differing from an informational nota simple. It may prove ownership and charges in a transaction or proceedings but cannot, by itself, certify condition, actual area or freedom from defects.Related terms: Nota simple (land registry information extract), Registro de la Propiedad (Spanish land registry)
Certificado de deudas con la comunidad (community debt certificate) (Certificado de deudas con la comunidad, owners' community arrears certificate)
A document reporting a home's debt position with its owners' community under the legal procedure. It matters when ownership is transferred and differs from a forecast of future expenses. Review considers date and scope, because certain unpaid amounts can affect the buyer under prescribed terms.Related terms: Comunidad de propietarios (owners' community), Escritura pública de compraventa (notarial sale deed)Standard or law: Ley 49/1960, de Propiedad Horizontal, art. 9
Condición resolutoria (termination condition) (Condición resolutoria, resolutory condition)
A contractual provision or legal circumstance capable of ending an obligation or contract when a specified event occurs. In property sales, it can secure commitments such as outstanding payments. Scope requires review of wording and registration without assuming every breach automatically cancels a completed sale.Related terms: Resolución contractual (termination for breach), Carga registral (registered charge or restriction)Standard or law: Código Civil, art. 1123
Contrato de arras (deposit agreement) (Contrato de arras, arras agreement)
An agreement linked to a sale setting out a payment and its effects between the parties. Its name alone does not determine its legal nature. Before buying, check whether the arras confirm the contract, permit withdrawal or prescribe consequences of breach, and under which conditions.Related terms: Arras penitenciales (withdrawal deposit), Arras confirmatorias (confirmatory deposit)
Contrato privado de compraventa (private sale contract) (Contrato privado de compraventa, privately signed purchase agreement)
A sale agreement signed by the parties without notarial authorisation as a public document. It can create obligations where legal requirements are met. Review the property, price, periods and conditions, because signing may create enforceable effects even when the deed and registration follow later.Related terms: Escritura pública de compraventa (notarial sale deed), Contrato de arras (deposit agreement)Standard or law: Código Civil, arts. 1278 y 1450
Embargo (attachment of assets) (Embargo, registered attachment)
A measure affecting assets or rights to secure or enforce payment of a debt within proceedings. It may be recorded against a home in the registry. Scope depends on the relevant action, requiring review of the entry and documentation without automatically equating it with immediate loss of ownership.Related terms: Carga registral (registered charge or restriction), Registro de la Propiedad (Spanish land registry)
Escritura pública de compraventa (notarial sale deed) (Escritura pública de compraventa, public deed of sale)
A public document authorised by a notary recording the sale and relevant statements and conditions. It supports registration where requirements are met. Review covers description, charges and obligations, distinguishing legal formalisation from technical checks of areas, installations and possible defects affecting the home.Related terms: Contrato privado de compraventa (private sale contract), Registro de la Propiedad (Spanish land registry)
Hipoteca (mortgage security) (Hipoteca, mortgage charge)
A security right over property ensuring performance of an obligation, usually a loan. It may remain registered when ownership changes. Buyers review conditions and debt status, distinguishing financial repayment from the procedures required to cancel the registered charge affecting the property.Related terms: Carga registral (registered charge or restriction), Tasación hipotecaria (regulated mortgage valuation)
Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales (property transfer tax) (Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales, ITP)
A tax whose paid-transfer category can apply to particular home purchases according to the transaction's conditions. Administration and rates depend on the applicable regime. Purchase cost calculations distinguish it from IVA and verify the relevant taxable base for the specific property being acquired.Related terms: Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido (value added tax), Valor de referencia catastral (cadastral reference value)
Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles (municipal property tax) (Impuesto sobre Bienes Inmuebles, IBI)
A municipal tax linked to particular rights over property, administered in connection with cadastral information and values. It can create recurring costs associated with a home. Buyers review receipts and obligations, distinguishing the amount paid from market price and other transaction taxes.Related terms: Valor catastral (cadastral value), Referencia catastral (cadastral reference)
Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido (value added tax) (Impuesto sobre el Valor Añadido, IVA, VAT)
An indirect tax that can apply to particular home supplies and other transactions according to their circumstances and the relevant territorial regime. It differs from paid property transfer taxation. Buyers identify the applicable tax without inferring it solely from a home appearing new or lightly used.Related terms: Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales (property transfer tax), Actos jurídicos documentados (documented legal acts tax)
Pre-purchase inspection (Inspección precompra, inspection before buying)
A review of a home's condition before purchase, with a previously defined scope. It can identify visible defects, indications and accessible functional checks. It helps assess risks and repairs but cannot guarantee detection of every hidden defect or replace review of the transaction's legal, planning and tax documentation.Related terms: Vicio oculto (hidden defect), Expert report
Nota simple (land registry information extract) (Nota simple, informative registry extract)
Summarised registry information about a property, its owners, registered rights and charges. It is informational and differs from a formal registry certificate. It helps review ownership and restrictions when buying but cannot, by itself, establish physical condition or the home's entire planning position.Related terms: Certificación registral (formal registry certificate), Carga registral (registered charge or restriction)
Nuda propiedad (bare ownership) (Nuda propiedad, ownership subject to usufruct)
Ownership of property whose use and enjoyment belong to another person through a usufruct. It retains powers and obligations under the applicable regime. Buying a home on this basis does not necessarily permit immediate occupation, and valuation must consider the existing right's conditions and duration.Related terms: Usufructo (right to use and enjoy another's property), Market value
Referencia catastral (cadastral reference) (Referencia catastral, Catastro property identifier)
An identifier assigned to a property in the Catastro, Spain's cadastral system, enabling its administrative information to be located. It appears in property documents and procedures. It differs from registry identifiers, and a matching reference alone does not prove that description, area and planning status accurately reflect reality.Related terms: Registro de la Propiedad (Spanish land registry), Verified floor area
Registro de la Propiedad (Spanish land registry) (Registro de la Propiedad, property registry)
The institution legally publishing ownership and rights over property through its entries, with the effects prescribed by Spain's mortgage legislation. It provides property information. Buyers compare that information with physical reality and planning documentation, because the registry does not carry out a construction inspection of the home.Related terms: Nota simple (land registry information extract), Certificación registral (formal registry certificate)
Servidumbre (property use restriction) (Servidumbre, servitude, easement)
A right or burden limiting a property's use for the benefit of another property or relevant person under its regime. It may concern access, pipes or other services. Buyers analyse the title and scope, because a restriction can affect use despite being unobvious during a viewing.Related terms: Carga registral (registered charge or restriction), Planning frameworkStandard or law: Código Civil, arts. 530 y 531
Usufructo (right to use and enjoy another's property) (Usufructo, usufruct)
A right allowing use and enjoyment of another person's property under obligations and limits established by its title and law. It can coexist with nuda propiedad in a home. It affects occupation and value, so duration and scope must be checked before purchase.Related terms: Nuda propiedad (bare ownership), Carga registral (registered charge or restriction)Standard or law: Código Civil, art. 467
Valor de referencia catastral (cadastral reference value) (Valor de referencia catastral, Catastro reference value)
A value determined by the Catastro, Spain's cadastral system, under its methodology, affecting particular tax bases for property transactions. It differs from cadastral value and the agreed price. Buyers should check availability and applicable rules rather than treating it as an individual valuation inspecting construction condition.Related terms: Valor catastral (cadastral value), Market value
Venta como cuerpo cierto (sale of a property as a whole) (Venta como cuerpo cierto, global-price property sale)
A sale at an overall price referring to the property as a whole, with the applicable legal consequences for differences in area. The agreement requires analysis. It does not automatically waive claims concerning every defect, deficient quality or incorrect information about the property transferred.Related terms: Escritura pública de compraventa (notarial sale deed), Verified floor areaStandard or law: Código Civil, art. 1471
Other glossary categories
Floors, tiles and finishes
Windows, glazing and locks
Heating, cooling, ventilation and energy efficiency
Housing law and legal terms
Electrical installations and telecommunications
Facades, roofs and terraces
Structure and foundations
Plumbing, drainage and gas
Damp and leaks
Technical regulations and codes
New builds, construction parties and documents
Building defects and deterioration
Expert reports and court procedure
Insurance, claims and damage assessment (IRD)
Property valuation and planning
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