Title deed extract

What it means

A title deed extract (list vlastníctva) is a public document from the land register that lists, for a cadastral area, the properties, their owners and shares, and the encumbrances. It is the basic document for checking who owns a property and what it is burdened with.

It has three main parts. Part A describes the properties, meaning plots and buildings with their numbers. Part B lists the owners, their shares and how they acquired them. Part C contains the encumbrances: liens, easements, pre-emption rights and notes, for example of enforcement proceedings.

An extract can be obtained electronically from the land register portal, for information free of charge. For legal acts, such as for a bank or court, a certified extract with the status of a public document is used.

How it works in practice

When a registered office is entered in the commercial register, the right to use the premises must be shown, and the extract reveals who the owner is and whose consent is needed. For leases we always recommend checking that the true owner, or someone they authorised, signs the lease.

Before a company or private property purchase, we check Part C. A bank’s lien, enforcement proceedings or an easement can affect the price considerably, and some pass to the new owner. With a mortgage, the new bank’s lien is entered in Part C.

For income tax the date of acquisition matters. The extract and the acquisition title show whether the holding period test for exemption has been met when a property is sold. For the books it serves as evidence in the stocktake of real estate.

What to watch out for

A common mistake is relying on an old extract. The register changes, and a lien or an enforcement note may appear between the extract and the signing. It is worth checking the current state just before signing and before paying the purchase price.

The second risk is unregistered buildings and a mismatch between reality and the register, such as an extension without occupancy approval. That causes complications in a sale, a loan or insurance that should be resolved before the transaction.