Guide
Documents to sell a home in Bolzano and South Tyrol
Which documents you need to sell an apartment or a house in the province of Bolzano, where to get them and what to check before the preliminary contract.
It starts with the land register extract
In South Tyrol, as in Trentino and parts of Friuli, ownership of a property is recorded in the land register (the «tavolare»). That is why the land register extract is the first document we look at when a property comes to us. It has three sheets.
Sheet A
Describes the property: the building plot and, for an apartment, the unit (p.m.) with its shares of the common parts.
Sheet B
Shows who the owners are, their shares and the deed on which their registration is based.
Sheet C
Lists the encumbrances: mortgages, easements, usufruct and restrictions. This is where you see, for example, whether the home is subsidised housing or carries restrictions from provincial grants, which can limit who you can sell to.
The deed of origin
This is the deed by which the property came to you: a purchase, a gift or an inheritance. The notary uses it to trace the chain of ownership. For an inherited home you also need the declaration of succession and the registration of the heirs in the land register: if it is missing, it is worth doing it straight away, because without it the home cannot be sold.
Cadastre: extract and floor plan
The cadastral extract shows the cadastral data and the rateable value; the cadastral floor plan is the drawing of the property filed with the cadastre. In South Tyrol both the cadastre and the land register are run by the Province.
In the deed of sale the owner declares that the data and the floor plan match the property as it is today. If over the years a wall was moved, a loggia closed or an extra room created, a surveyor has to update the plan before completion.
Building permit and licence of use
They show that the building was built and altered in line with the rules. You request them from the municipality, at the building records archive.
Original building permit
The permit under which the building was built, with any later variations and amnesties.
Licence of use
Under the old provincial planning law of 1997, this was the document by which the mayor authorised the use of a new or altered building, the equivalent of the habitability certificate elsewhere in Italy. For many homes in Bolzano this is the document to look for.
Certified occupancy notice
With the 2018 provincial law on territory and landscape, the licence of use was replaced by a certified notice of occupancy (agibilità), which the surveyor files with the municipality once the works are finished. For more recent buildings, this is the one to look for.
Energy certificate
The energy performance certificate (APE) is mandatory when you sell: the energy class must already appear in the listing and the certificate is attached to the deed. In South Tyrol energy certification falls under the CasaClima/KlimaHaus Agency. It is valid for ten years, as long as the heating or insulation is not changed.
Building management, mortgage and systems
Building management
A statement from the building manager on the charges paid and any works already approved, with the house rules and the ownership share tables. Buyers want to know what they will spend and whether works are coming up.
Mortgage
If there is still a mortgage on the property, the bank calculates the amount needed to pay it off. It is usually settled on completion day with the sale price, and the mortgage is then removed from the register.
Systems
Compliance certificates for the electrical and heating systems are not required to sell. If you have them they go to the buyer; if not, this is stated in the deed.
Documents for the owners
ID and Italian tax code of every owner.
Marital status and property regime: if the home is held in community of property, both spouses sign.
A notarial power of attorney, if an owner cannot attend the signing.
If a company is selling: its company register extract and the signing powers of the person who signs.
In short
Up-to-date land register extract
Deed of origin (or declaration of succession)
Cadastral extract
Cadastral floor plan matching the property
Original building permit, with variations and amnesties
Licence of use or certified occupancy notice
Energy performance certificate (APE)
Statement from the building manager
Mortgage redemption statement, if any
Owners’ ID documents
How we help
When you ask us to sell your home, we gather the documents with you and check them one by one before the listing goes online, so buyers get their answers straight away and there are no surprises at the preliminary contract. For legal and tax matters, the notary and your accountant have the final word.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to get all the documents?
The cadastral extract, floor plan and land register extract take a few days. Building records from the municipality can take a few weeks, and if the plan needs updating or a discrepancy has to be fixed, it takes longer. That is why it pays to start before putting the home on the market.
Can I sign the preliminary contract without all the documents?
You can, but it is a risk: if a problem turns up later, completion is delayed or the sale stalls. We prefer to reach the preliminary contract with the documents already checked.
Who pays for the documents?
Usually the seller, because they show that the home can be sold: the energy certificate, any cadastral updates, the building manager’s statement. The notary for the deed is usually chosen and paid by the buyer.