What's the difference between the Catastro and the Registro de la Propiedad?
The Catastro is Spain's tax-and-physical record of a property — its surface, location and cadastral value — while the Registro de la Propiedad is the legal record of who owns it and what debts it carries; the two are run by different ministries and can disagree.
The Catastro (under the Ministerio de Hacienda) exists to levy taxes like the IBI, and describes the property: its cadastral reference, built surface and use. The Registro de la Propiedad (under the Ministerio de Justicia) records ownership and charges.
When they conflict, the Registry governs ownership, but a mismatch in surface or boundaries is a genuine red flag worth resolving before purchase — it can signal an unregistered extension or a boundary dispute.
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VeoTrust verifies a listing against the cadastre, the registry, rent-control rules and the real taxes — an honest verdict in minutes.
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Sources: Dirección General del Catastro — sede.catastro.gob.es; Colegio de Registradores de España — registradores.org.