The nota simple: what it shows and what it hides

It is the cheapest document in the whole purchase and the one that most often changes a buyer's mind. Ordering one before you make an offer costs less than lunch.

What it contains

The registry description of the property with its surface area and boundaries. The current registered owner and the share each owner holds. The title by which they acquired it. And the charges section, which lists mortgages, embargoes, easements, rights of way, leases where registered, and any restriction on disposal. That last section is the reason to read it line by line.

The surface area discrepancy

The registry and the cadastre are two separate systems and they frequently disagree. A difference of a few square metres is common and usually harmless. A difference of 30 or 40 square metres normally means an extension was built and never registered, which matters because an unregistered structure cannot be mortgaged, is harder to sell, and may be subject to a planning enforcement file depending on when it was built.

The checks it does not replace

A certificate from the community administrator confirming there are no outstanding fees, which the seller must provide at completion. A town hall check that the building has the required licences and no open enforcement file. Confirmation that the property is not affected by the coastal setback or a protected classification. And in rural property, the planning status of the land itself, which determines what can be built or rebuilt.

The numbers make the case for ordering one early. A nota simple costs under 10 € and is issued in 5 minutes. A community debt certificate is free and takes 3 to 10 days. A town hall planning check costs 0 to 150 € and takes 2 to 4 weeks. Together that is under 200 € and about 4 weeks of checking on a purchase that will cost 6 figures, which is why the sequence starts before the deposit and not after it.

Ordering a fresh nota simple on the morning of completion is standard practice, because a charge registered the previous week would not show on a copy from a month earlier.

How to obtain one

Through the land registry itself, in person or through its online service, for a fee of a few euros, or through the lawyer handling the purchase. You need the registry reference or the exact address. Anyone with a legitimate interest can request one, which means you do not need the seller's permission to check a property you are considering.

One more comparison is useful: a survey costs 400 € to 1,200 €, a community debt certificate is free, a planning check 0 € to 150 € and the nota simple under 10 €. Together that is roughly 1 per cent of a 200,000 € purchase and it covers the 4 questions that most often derail one.