Latvia — Property: Legal Checks

Why this matters

Relocating persons should care about these checks as they prevent purchasing a property with hidden issues, which could lead to legal disputes and financial losses.

Key facts

• The Land Register is fully public: anyone can request information without holding rights to the property, online at zemesgramata.lv or in person/by mail at the Court Administration in Riga; searches need a cadastral number, address, property name or folio number.
• Section B records the owner (natural persons: name, personal ID, spouse if acquired in marriage; companies: name and registration number), the basis of acquisition and always the acquisition price.
• Section B also records owner restrictions such as insolvency limits, attachment proceedings against the property, and court security for claims.
• Section C records mortgages (effective only once registered, ranked by registration date, shown as one global secured amount), servitudes, real charges, lease rights and pre-emption or repurchase rights.
• Tax liabilities entered in the Land Register act as real encumbrances, and court or administrative attachments appear as notices on the extract.
• Register information is available only in Latvian; only the content descriptions are in English.

Steps

1. Engage a Notary — Hire a local notary to conduct legal checks and ensure all formalities are met.
2. Title Search — The notary performs a title search to verify the seller's right to sell the property and check for any liens or mortgages.
3. Property Inspection — The notary or a municipal inspector checks if the property complies with zoning and building regulations.