Documents to check before buying a house in Italy

In Italy, the first written offer, known as the proposta d'acquisto, already carries binding weight. In other words, once you sign it, you are officially expressing your intention to purchase the property — and this offer becomes legally binding if the seller accepts it.

It is important to understand that, in Italian practice, the documents to verify before buying a house in Italy are often reviewed after the offer has been signed. This habit can be risky: if irregularities come to light later, the buyer may face additional costs or even administrative obstacles that block the transaction.

To avoid this kind of situation, it is essential to request the full property documentation yourself before signing anything, to never sign without having verified planning and cadastral compliance, or to include suspensive clauses in your offer, drafted with the help of a lawyer specialising in property law. These precautions protect you legally and allow you to approach the purchase with confidence.

In this article, we will go through in detail the documents to verify before buying a house in Italy so that you can gain a clear and complete picture of the property's situation before making any commitment.

The title deed (Atto di proprietà)

The atto di proprietà is the document that proves legal ownership of the property and specifies how the seller acquired it, whether through purchase, gift, inheritance or another form of transfer.
It is the official title deed, essential for confirming that the person selling the property has the legal right to do so.

This document also reveals any restrictions or special conditions attached to the property, such as rights of use, easements, or the presence of co-owners.
At the time of sale, it is the notary (notaio) who is responsible for verifying the legal validity of the title and ensuring continuity of ownership transfers, in order to rule out any risk of illegitimate sale or future dispute.

Even though this verification is part of the notary's role, it is still advisable, during the negotiation phase, to request a copy of the atto di proprietà in order to understand the property's ownership history and confirm the seller's true identity before making any purchase offer.

The cadastral record in Italy (Visura catastale)

The visura catastale is an official document that provides all the cadastral information about a property: its floor area, its designated use (residential, commercial, garage, warehouse, etc.), its cadastral section, and the name of the registered owner.
It allows you to verify that the property being sold matches the data held in the Italian cadastral register.

One particularly important aspect is the property's designated use. Certain cadastral categories, such as category C2, correspond to former barns, cellars or storage units and cannot legally be used as residential accommodation.
This information is sometimes mentioned in property listings, but buyers do not always grasp the implications: a property that does not carry a residential category (A/2, A/3, A/4, etc.) cannot be used as a primary residence or rented out for housing purposes without an officially approved change of designated use.

The visura catastale also lets you find out the actual floor area of the property, known as the superficie calpestabile, meaning the usable interior living space.
In Italy, the size shown in property listings is often the commercial area, which includes walls, balconies, terraces, cellars and a proportional share of common areas.
As a result, it is not uncommon for a property advertised as 100 m² to have an actual living space of around 80 m².

Checking the visura catastale before purchasing therefore allows you to know the true size of the property and to confirm that it is classified for residential use — two essential factors for avoiding unpleasant surprises after signing.

The cadastral floor plan in Italy (Planimetria catastale)

The planimetria catastale is the official floor plan of the property as registered with the Italian cadastral office.
It allows you to compare the property's actual layout — rooms, walls, openings, mezzanines and extensions — with what has been officially declared.

This document is fundamental, because in Italy there are many cases of planning non-compliance.
Over the years, many property owners have altered, extended or converted their homes without notifying the local council: walls knocked down or added, enclosed verandas, converted lofts, covered terraces, or even undeclared extensions.
If these changes have not been authorised or regularised, the property is considered non-compliant with the cadastral records — a situation that can cause problems at the point of sale, particularly when signing the notarial deed (rogito).

Comparing the planimetria with the actual property is therefore essential to verify that the property matches what has been declared and to avoid any irregularity that could block the transaction, prevent mortgage approval, or invalidate a home insurance policy.

At this stage, engaging a surveyor (geometra) is strongly recommended.
They are the professional qualified to check the property's compliance, identify any discrepancies between the actual situation and what is on record, and issue, if everything is in order, the urban planning compliance certificate. Their expertise helps secure the purchase and allows you to move towards the final signing with confidence.

The energy performance certificate (APE – Attestato di Prestazione Energetica)

The Attestato di Prestazione Energetica (APE) is the only mandatory certificate required for any property sale in Italy.
It rates the property according to its energy performance, on a scale ranging from A (most energy-efficient) to G (least energy-efficient).
This document specifies the property's annual energy consumption, the type of heating system, the level of insulation, and any potential improvements that could reduce energy costs.

It is worth knowing that in Italy, the vast majority of properties are rated category G, particularly in historic city centres or older buildings.
This does not necessarily mean the property is in poor condition — it simply means it does not meet current insulation standards. Properties rated A or B are still relatively rare and are found mainly in newly built or recently renovated buildings using high-performance materials.

The APE must be provided no later than the signing of the preliminary sale agreement (compromesso).
It is drawn up by a qualified professional (surveyor, engineer or architect) and remains valid for ten years, unless major works are carried out that significantly alter the property's energy characteristics.

Unlike in many other European countries, Italy does not require mandatory diagnostic reports covering the presence of lead, asbestos or gas.
If you wish to obtain this information, it is up to you, as the buyer, to formally request it from a qualified professional and to cover the associated costs.

Owners' meeting minutes (Verbali di assemblea condominiale)

If the property you are buying is located within a residential building, it is essential to request the minutes of the most recent owners' meetings.
These documents allow you to find out what decisions have been made by the building's co-owners, such as works that have been voted on or planned, maintenance carried out on shared areas, or the appointment of the building manager and the management of shared expenses.

They also provide a clear indication of the building's financial situation: whether there are outstanding debts, co-owners in arrears, or ongoing disputes. These factors can have a direct impact on your budget in the short term, as certain expenses (facade works, roof repairs, lift maintenance, etc.) could become your responsibility shortly after purchase.

Reviewing these minutes before signing allows you to anticipate potential additional costs and to better assess the financial health and overall management of the building.

Service charge statements and utility bills (Utenze e spese condominiali)

Before purchasing a property, it is important to ask the seller for the most recent payment records relating to building service charges as well as water, gas and electricity bills.
These documents allow you to verify that all bills have been settled and that there are no outstanding debts associated with the property.

This check is essential because, under Italian law, the buyer may be liable for up to 50% of any outstanding service charge debts incurred during the current year and the preceding financial year.
In other words, if the seller has not paid certain shared expenses (such as communal heating, lift maintenance or cleaning of common areas), a portion of these amounts may be claimed from you after the purchase.

Checking these elements in advance protects you from unexpected financial liabilities and gives you a clear picture of the true running costs associated with the property before you commit.

The urban planning compliance certificate (Certificato di conformità urbanistica)

The urban planning compliance certificate is one of the most important documents in any Italian property purchase.
Issued by a qualified professional, most commonly a surveyor (geometra) or an architect, it certifies that the property complies with current planning regulations and that no unauthorised modifications (extensions, enclosed balconies, added rooms, etc.) have been carried out without official approval.

This certificate is generally the buyer's responsibility to obtain, and it is strongly in your interest to request it before signing anything.
Indeed, without this document, the notary is required to insert a reservation clause in the deed of sale (rogito), stating that they cannot guarantee the property's compliance.
In that case, the buyer implicitly accepts all existing irregularities: they become liable for any planning violations committed by the seller and will have to bear the costs and administrative steps required to regularise the situation (and potentially face administrative penalties) if any issues are discovered after the purchase.

The absence of a compliance certificate can also block a future resale, complicate a renovation permit application, or prevent you from taking out home insurance.

For all these reasons, it is strongly recommended to have the property's planning compliance verified before signing any offer. This step, carried out by a qualified professional, is the only way to ensure a secure and legally sound purchase.

Buying a house in Italy is an exciting project, but the complexity of the Italian legal and administrative framework should never be underestimated.
The rules differ significantly from those in other countries, and certain steps — such as verifying planning compliance or the validity of cadastral documents — rest squarely on the buyer's own diligence.

At Allerenitalie, we can support you at every stage of the buying process, from property search and document verification through to the signing of the notarial deed, including translation, bilingual legal assistance and coordination with local professionals (surveyor, lawyer, notary, estate agent).
Our mission is to help you buy with full confidence, understanding every document you sign and anticipating any potential difficulties.

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FAQs

1. Why check the documents before making an offer?

Because in Italy, a written offer is already legally binding. If you discover irregularities afterwards, it is often too late to withdraw without penalty. Checking the documents before making an offer is therefore the best way to avoid unpleasant surprises.

2. What is the difference between the visura catastale and the planimetria catastale?

The visura catastale contains official data (owner, floor area, category, designated use), while the planimetria catastale is the property's floor plan. Together, they allow you to verify whether the property matches what is actually being sold.

3. What should I do if the property does not match the cadastral floor plan?

If the property has undeclared modifications, you will need to ask a surveyor to prepare a regularisation file (sanatoria). Until the situation is resolved, the property is legally non-compliant and can cause problems at the time of sale or when carrying out future works.

4. Can I buy a property in Italy without Italian residency?

Yes, this is entirely possible. Many foreign buyers and non-resident investors purchase properties in Italy every year, whether for a holiday home, rental income or long-term investment.
The key difference is that, without Italian tax residency, you will be subject to the IMU, the municipal property tax, from which residents may in some cases be exempt.