Land Registry extract vs risk report: what each tells you when buying

Before buying a home in Spain you will be told to get two documents that sound alike but are not: the Land Registry extract (nota simple) and the risk report. They do not compete: they answer different questions. The nota simple tells you who owns the property and what debts it carries; the risk report tells you what the property and its surroundings are exposed to. This guide explains what each covers, when you need which, and why the smart move is to have both.

What the Land Registry extract (nota simple) is and tells you

The nota simple is an informative document issued by the Land Registry. It is the official source for a property's legal situation: who the owner is, the registered description of the property and, above all, the charges on it.

• Ownership: who the owner or owners are and in what share.
• Property description: registered surface, boundaries and associated cadastral reference.
• Charges and encumbrances: mortgages, seizures, rights of way, resolutory conditions, tax liens.
• Restrictions on disposal: whether the owner can sell freely or there are restrictions.

What it is for: confirming that the person selling to you really is the owner and that the property carries no debts you would inherit. It is essential before signing. What the nota simple does not tell you: whether the house is in a flood zone, whether there is radon, whether an industrial estate is planned next door, or whether the asking price is at market. None of that is in the Registry.

What the risk report is and tells you

The risk report (or property report) gathers what the listing and the nota simple leave out: the physical risks, the land constraints, the surroundings and a market-price reference, by crossing the plot's exact location with official public sources.

• Natural risks: river and coastal flooding (MITECO), radon (CSN), seismic hazard (IGN), wildfires.
• Land and easements: urban classification (SIU), watercourses, coast, livestock trails, power lines.
• Surroundings and nuisances: industrial land and facilities, energy, dams, noise from roads, trains and airports.
• Condition and price: age and renovation cost, surface discrepancies, and the asking price against the area's real market.

What it is for: deciding with data before visiting, negotiating the price with arguments and avoiding costly surprises (a plot you cannot extend, an area that floods, an industrial neighbour). What the risk report does not tell you: who the owner is or what registered charges it has. For that you need the nota simple.

Land Registry extract vs risk report: comparison

Side by side, it is clear they cover different dimensions of the same purchase:

• Question it answers — Nota simple: who owns it and what does it owe? · Risk report: what is it exposed to and what is it worth?
• Source — Nota simple: Land Registry · Risk report: Cadastre, MITECO, CSN, IGN, Ministry of the Interior and sale records.
• Covers — Nota simple: ownership and charges · Risk report: risks, land, surroundings, condition and price.
• When — Nota simple: before signing (essential) · Risk report: at the start, to decide and negotiate.
• How to get it — Nota simple: by requesting it from the Land Registry · Risk report: online instantly from the address or cadastral reference.

Which do I need? Both, in this order

The efficient approach is to use them in sequence. First the risk report, at the start of the process: it is online, instant and cheap, and lets you quickly rule out properties with serious problems (risks, land, surroundings, inflated price) before investing time and visits. Then the nota simple, when a property genuinely convinces you and you are going to make an offer or sign: it confirms ownership and that there are no hidden charges.

Neither replaces an in-person technical inspection or an official valuation. But together they cover the two questions that can cost you the most if you ignore them: is it legally buyable? (nota simple) and is it a good buy? (risk report).

Want to understand why the nota simple cannot reliably be had «instantly»? We explain it in instant land registry extract: why it is a myth. And to see everything the report checks, read what we analyze in every property.