Renting or buying in Spain without the risk of a scam: how to find out who the real owner is before you sign
Every week, people who are about to rent or buy a home in Spain write to us with the same question: “How do I know that the person offering it to me is really the owner?”
It’s a reasonable concern. Anyone about to sign —whether they live outside Spain or right here— has heard about scams involving flats rented out by someone who doesn’t own them, or properties that don’t exist as described. The good news is that checking is easier than it seems.
You’re not alone with this doubt
Just this week we’ve handled enquiries in English and in German, and we receive requests from all over the world: from parents about to host a child coming to study in Spain, to expats who still own property here and need to keep managing it from a distance.
In every case the goal is the same: to sign with confidence and no surprises.
The three questions that prevent almost every nasty surprise
Before you hand over a deposit, pay a holding fee, or sign anything, it’s worth answering three questions:
The answer is in the Land Registry
All of this information is held in the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad) and is set out in a document called a nota simple. The nota simple identifies the registered owner, describes the property and shows any charges currently in force.
One important detail: for the check to be reliable, the nota simple should be as recent as possible. Ownership and charges can change, and an old nota simple may not reflect the property’s current situation.
And here’s the key point many people don’t know: in Spain the Land Registry is public to anyone with a legitimate interest. You don’t need to be the owner. A prospective tenant or buyer who is about to sign a contract has that legitimate interest recognised (articles 221 and 222 of Spain’s Mortgage Law, the Ley Hipotecaria, and article 332 of the Mortgage Regulations).
So why doesn’t everyone do it?
Because requesting it yourself isn’t always straightforward. The online portal requires digital identification methods that many people —especially non-residents— don’t have; access from a foreign IP address sometimes fails; and the information comes in Spanish and in technical language that’s hard to interpret if you don’t know the system.
This is where we help
TraceDat is the human and technological complement to the registry system. We:
And above all, we help you in your own language. For someone worried about a scam, speaking with a trusted person who understands them completely changes how confidently they sign.
Before you take the first step, check it
If you’re about to rent or buy in Spain and want to confirm who the real owner is —and that the property is the one you’re being told about— before handing anything over, get in touch.
Checking costs very little. Not checking can cost a great deal.
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