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Request a land registry extract free of charge

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What does a land registry extract contain?

The land registry is a public register listing plots of land or rights equivalent to land, the associated ownership and any encumbrances. Official title only applies once an entry has been made in the land registry.

Every land registry folio begins with a cover sheet, followed by the inventory section and Divisions I, II and III. The structure is always the same.

Inventory section

The inventory section lists all plots belonging to the land registry folio and their location. The location of the plot is determined precisely by cadastral district (Gemarkung), sub-district (Flur), parcel (Flurstück) and address. The property of a land registry folio may consist of one parcel or of several parcels (parts of the plot). Parcels are organised into sub-districts, which in turn are structured within a defined area, the cadastral district. Alongside the location details, the size of each individual parcel is stated, allowing the total size of the plot to be determined.

In addition, the inventory section records what are known as Herrschvermerke, which identify the rights attaching to one or more parcels of the land registry folio. It is important not to confuse Herrschvermerke with the entries in Divisions II and III, which represent an encumbrance or restriction rather than an entitlement.

Division I

Division I names all owners as well as the legal basis in rem for the acquisition of the property. If the plot or property has several owners, the percentage share is also listed.

Division II

Division II lists all restrictions in the form of rights in rem (which have a direct effect on a plot and apply independently of the owner), such as usufruct, real charges and easements. This also includes rights of use such as rights of way and access. In addition, personal rights may be entered in Division II which can be relevant to a plot but take effect only in connection with the person holding the right. A common example of a personal right is the right of first refusal.

Division III

All liens (land charge, mortgage, annuity charge) are listed in Division III. A lien expires once interest and principal have been paid in full. The right in question is then underlined in the land registry extract and thereby marked as invalid.

Still have questions?

Here you will find a detailed explanation with examples based on the sample land registry extract:

To the sample

Why do I need a land registry extract?

There are several reasons why the ownership of a plot of land or a property has to be evidenced by a land registry extract. Here are the most common ones:

I want to sell my property

If you wish to sell your property or plot of land, an extract from the land registry is indispensable. The land registry proves that you are indeed the owner. It also shows the buyer what the ownership situation is and whether a third party still holds rights over your land or property. In the case of a transaction (purchase), the land registry extract should ideally be no more than six weeks old. This ensures that you are not looking at an outdated status and that recently added rights come to light during notarisation.

I want to apply for a loan to buy a property

As a rule, when you buy a plot of land or a house, you finance part of it through a bank you trust. In this case, the lending bank carries out a lending assessment, for which you must present a certified land registry extract. In doing so, the institution also clarifies the ownership situation and checks whether the property value is sufficient as security for the loan, or whether other creditors are perhaps also entered in the land registry. Furthermore, a loan is usually secured by a land charge and recorded in the land registry. Should you be unable to repay the loan, this gives the bank the right, as a last resort, to sell the property. In the event of a forced sale, the bank as creditor then receives the corresponding share first.

I have inherited

If you have inherited a plot of land or a property, you should request access to the land registry or an extract from it in order to avoid unpleasant surprises later on. Should it turn out that a large mortgage is charged against the property, or that another person — a relative, for instance — holds a usufruct and thus a lifelong right of residence, the inheritance may no longer appear quite so valuable.

There are legal disputes

If a divorce is pending in which the equalisation of accrued gains has to be calculated, or if disputes arise within the family about the ownership of a property, you should apply for an up-to-date land registry extract. This is the only way to establish clearly how ownership is to be attributed. An extract from the land registry may also be necessary where, for example, a usufruct or right of way is charged against the property and one party considers their rights to be restricted.

Property tax reform

Under the property tax reform, owners of real estate are obliged to submit their declaration for determining the property tax value to the responsible tax office by 31/10/2022. In addition to other standard records and building files, a land registry extract is required for this. You can find out more about the property tax reform here.

How can I request a land registry extract?

If you only need a land registry extract, you have the option of inspecting it in person at the local court or applying for a printout of the relevant folio. The application must be made in writing, which is why applications by email are rarely possible. Accordingly, the application must be submitted by post or, alternatively, by fax. If the application contains errors, you will normally receive written notification with instructions on how to correct the error or supplement the documents. The land registry extract is also sent by post. Provision usually takes 1 to 4 weeks; longer where local courts are under heavy workload.

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Legitimate interest – can anyone request a land registry extract?

Under § 12 of the German Land Registry Code (GBO), a land registry extract can only be requested if the applicant can demonstrate a legitimate interest. The person must therefore submit an application to the land registry office, which decides whether access to the desired land registry entry is granted. This protects the persons named in the entry, as it also contains information about their financial circumstances — for example, whether a mortgage is charged against the property.

A legitimate interest exists if:

you are the owner or part-owner of the plot or property

you are an authorised representative

you hold a heritable building right

you are the heir to a property and need further background information in order to decide whether to accept the inheritance

you own a plot of land adjoining the plot whose land registry folio you wish to inspect

the bank wishes to obtain information about the plot or property as part of a financing assessment

you are the tenant of the plot in question and wish to verify that the stated owner is indeed the owner

Darüber hinaus ist Gerichten, Notaren und Behörden gemäß Artikel 35 GG die Pflicht zur Amtshilfe und entsprechend die Berechtigung zur Einsicht in das Grundbuch gewährt. Gleiches gilt für öffentlich bestellte Vermessungsingenieure.

Zum Nachweis des berechtigten Interesses reicht es nicht aus, Ihren Namen im Antrag anzugeben. Legen Sie eine Fotokopie der Vorder- und Rückseite ihres Personalausweises bei, um eine Legitimation zu ermöglichen.

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A sample land registry extract

The cover sheet of a land registry extract makes identification easier by always listing the responsible local court, the cadastral district and the folio number. Large land registry districts are additionally subdivided into individual volumes. The footer records the date of the last amendment as well as the date of printing, which serves to confirm that the document is up to date.

The property falls within the jurisdiction of the Musterstadt Local Court, in the cadastral district Muster Bezirk 11. The folio number is 1119. The last amendment was entered on 15/02/2020 and the extract was printed on 01/03/2020.

View the complete sample here

Requesting a land registry extract – costs and processing times

A simple extract from the land registry costs 10 euros. A certified copy costs 20 euros. The processing time depends on the responsible local court and averages 7 – 30 days. Processing usually takes longer in large cities such as Cologne or Berlin due to the high volume of requests for land registry extracts.

In urgent cases, we recommend collecting a copy in person from your responsible land registry office. Check the opening hours in advance. Inspecting the register in person at the local court is free of charge. If you wish to take a simple or certified extract away with you from the responsible local court, the same fees apply.

Alternatively, our application assistant is at your disposal. It is free for you to use. Only the official authority fees apply.

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FAQs

What does a land registry extract cost?

When you request a land registry extract, the cost is 10 euros for an uncertified extract and 20 euros for a certified one. Using our application assistant is free of charge. Apply for your land registry extract with no service fee!

What does a land registry extract look like?

Take a look at our complete sample.

View the sample land registry extract >>>

How long does it take to receive a land registry extract?

The processing time depends on the responsible local court and averages 7 – 30 days. Processing usually takes longer in large cities such as Cologne or Berlin due to the high volume of requests for land registry extracts.

If you need the land registry extract urgently, we recommend collecting a copy in person from your responsible land registry office. Check the opening hours in advance. The official fee on site is likewise 10 euros for an uncertified extract and 20 euros for a certified one.

Alternatively, our application assistant is at your disposal. It is free for you to use. Only the official authority fees apply.

Request a land registry extract free of charge!

Will the authority inform me if there are formal errors in my application?

As a rule, the authority will inform you if the land registry folio cannot be identified. Possible causes include incorrect details about the property, such as typing errors or similar.

If supporting documents are missing, you will normally also be informed by the authority by post.

When do I need a certified extract?

If you need a land registry extract purely for your own purposes — for your records, for example, or to keep track of things — a simple copy is sufficient. If you are buying or renting a property and want to find out whether the landlord really is the owner, you likewise do not need a certified extract.

If, on the other hand, you are selling a property, you must request a certified land registry extract. In this case the authority confirms that the document is not a forgery. You will also need to present a certified copy in the event of a lending assessment by your lending bank.

The prices for a land registry extract are set by law: a certified extract costs 20 euros and an uncertified one 10 euros. The fee notice is issued by the authority. Every order in our shop includes a land registry authorisation as proof of legitimate interest for the official records. The documents are provided to you online. The official fees and our service charge are also debited online. If you only wish to request a land registry extract, you are welcome to use our free application form. The application for your land registry extract will be sent to you by email together with the responsible authority’s contact details.

As a tenant, do I have a legitimate interest?

As a tenant, you can request a land registry extract to make sure that the landlord really is the actual owner of the property. As a prospective tenant you also have a legitimate interest — for example, to check whether a flat is still subsidised with public funds, whether a forced sale has been ordered, or whether the flat is located in a redevelopment area. Access will be refused if you are seeking information about the owner’s financial circumstances.

What details are required when I request a land registry extract?

When applying for a land registry extract you must provide the following details:

Applicant details (name, address, telephone)
Property details (address, land registry folio number, cadastral district and parcel number)
Choice of certified or uncertified copy
Statement of legitimate interest (buyer, owner, notary etc.)

How can I have entries in the land registry amended?

To make changes to the land registry, various supporting documents and deeds must be submitted depending on what is intended. In the case of a change of ownership due to inheritance, for example, proof of inheritance must be submitted in addition to the informal application. This may be a notarially certified copy of the will or the record of probate issued by the responsible court.

When a loan is repaid, a right of residence lapses or the owner changes, the outdated details in the land registry are deleted. However, they do not disappear entirely. It is merely recorded that certain information no longer applies, which is then supplemented with the new details. This is documented by means of deletions and annotations.

Can I request a land registry extract online?

You can easily request a land registry extract online via our application form. You also have the option of ordering further records (contaminated sites, building encumbrances etc.) through our shop. These are likewise provided online.

What does a land registry extract look like?

A land registry extract contains a heading, the inventory section and Divisions I-III. You can find out more about the sample land registry extract and its individual sections here.

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