How to Find Out Who Owns a Property in Italy [fast!]

There are various reasons why you should find out who the owner of a house is.

Maybe it is an off-market property and you want to get in touch with the owner to make your winning offer. Or you are struggling with a legal problem - like a fence mysteriously popping up in your garden - and need to know who is responsible.

You might also be planning a renovation and want to avoid a fight with your neighbours from day one. In short, knowing who the landlord is can save you a lot of headaches, legal, and otherwise!

For all this, there is me, a licensed real estate agent with over 15 years of experience in Italy, ready to assist you in finding the property owner you seek!

Methods for Identifying Property Ownership

As a licensed real estate agent, I meticulously access both databases (Catasto and Conservatoria) to quickly and accurately find the owner of a property throughout Italy (Contact me for any help you may need).

But there is a significant difference between Catasto and Conservatoria!

In Italy, the Catasto contains all the plans, tax data (called ‘rendita catastale’) and owners without being probative. In other words, the Catasto has mainly a fiscal purpose and is not sufficient to legally prove who owns a property.

All this because the Cadastre may not be up-to-date! Yes, you heard me right...!

On the contrary, the Conservatoria dei Registri Immobiliari registers all real estate transactions, owners and deeds concerning real estate on Italian territory (including: purchases, sales, donations, mortgages, foreclosures, inscriptions or legal transcriptions).

Want to know who owns a property?
Get in touch with me... I can track them down anywhere in Italy!

Using the Land Registry (Catasto) to find property owners through Visura catastale

Once you have logged in and entered the Sister della Agenzia delle Entrate [1], you will find a screen similar to this one:

Here, you can search for the owner through:

• Property address
• Cadastral details (such as: Sheet, Parcel and Subdivision)
• Geolocation

And then you get a cadastral document, like this one:

It is also possible to find the list of all properties owned by a person on Italian territory.

Remind: it is not 100% certain that this is the owner, because the Land Registry is not probative. To be certain, you have to search in the Conservatoria dei Pubblici Registri Immobiliari.

Are you about to buy a house and want to know its real value?
Contact me right now... with the ‘Rogiti in chiaro’ service you will receive notarial deeds of properties sold in the same building!

Legal considerations when searching for property ownership

When searching for property ownership in Italy, there are two legal considerations to remember.

1. Privacy Laws:

The EU and Italy have strict privacy laws that regulate the type of personal information that can be accessed, including property ownership details.

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), personal data is protected, and only specific individuals or entities with legitimate interests can access information about a property's ownership. For example, buyers, sellers, realtors, legal representatives, and government authorities, have the right to obtain such information.

2. Data accuracy:

Only the Conservatoria dei Registri Immobiliari holds accurate and legally binding records of ownership, transfers, and any legal claims or liens on the property.

The Catasto, which is used for fiscal purposes, records the physical details of a property, such as its location, size, and boundaries, and is used to calculate property taxes. However, the Catasto does not provide legally binding proof of ownership.

What to do if you cannot find the property owner

In rare cases, you might encounter difficulties in tracking down the property owner, especially with those charmingly mysterious old properties, abandoned buildings, or messy records. But with the right guidance, these challenges can be overcome.

Personally, I’ve never had this problem (lucky me!).

If the usual routes—like the Catasto or Conservatoria—leave you empty-handed, the next move is to dig into the atto di provenienza (deed of origin). This handy document reveals how the owner got the property—whether by buying, inheriting, or giving it as a gift.

At this point, you’ll need a real estate pro, notary, or lawyer to help you navigate the maze of Italian property law.

And, if the property has been abandoned, it might even be a candidate for usucapione (adverse possession), a legal principle where someone can claim ownership after living there for about 20 years.

But don’t get too excited—this is a tricky legal path, so make sure you have expert guidance!

Elena Manzhos: Mother of two beautiful children, wife, and real estate agent for over 15 years. Frankly, I don't know what is more complicated. More than 20 years ago,  I moved to Italy from Eastern Europe, where I taught English. I have always had a deep-seated passion for houses; as a child for the Barbie house, and now as a real estate professional, my love for luxurious properties is unwavering.
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