When people hear “land register”, they probably think of a huge book with a leather cover. There is actually no such thing as a central land register. Instead, there is a land register office in charge of each individual canton. In most cases, they keep a digital register that is continuously updated: there is a land register page for each of the four million properties in Switzerland which documents the ownership situation and rights to the land. For example, it provides information on whether the owners have taken out a mortgage or pledged their property and if so, when.

Although most people have never looked at the land register, the principle of public access applies: anyone who is interested can contact the land register office to inquire about the most important key data of a property. Specifically, this includes the description of the property (e.g. its size), the owners, the date of acquisition, the forms of ownership (e.g. condominium ownership) as well as easements (rights of use such as right of abode and right of way) and land charges (e.g. obligation to supply water).

For this reason, the law requires that all parties negotiating over a plot of land must be informed of the associated entries in the land register. In the event of legal disputes, this means that no one can claim to have been unaware of the facts. The land register is always right: what’s written there applies. And everyone should be aware of this information.