Authorities documents
Authority documents form the foundation of every successful property transaction, whether for a sale, viewing, or financing. Instead of time-consuming communication with countless authorities by email, phone, or post, we centralise and automate the sourcing process on a single platform. This saves valuable time and keeps all official documents for your projects readily accessible at all times.
Services currently available only in Germany
BAUAKTE
Bauakte is the German construction file required for property transactions. Backbone sources it via DocEstate in 1 to 8 weeks, in three tiers: Essentiell (key documents), Standard (full project documentation), Premium (with structural calculations).
LAND REGISTER
A land register extract (Grundbuchauszug) is the official, complete transcript of all entries held for a specific plot of land or property at the land register of the local court (Amtsgericht). Every land register record begins with a cover sheet, followed by the inventory section and three divisions: Division I (Who is the owner?), Division II (Encumbrances and restrictions, such as rights of way, rights of residence, and pre-emption rights) and Division III (Land charges, such as mortgages or bank charges). The structure is always the same.
CONTAMINATED SITES - AND BUILDING ENCUMBRANCES REGISTER EXTRACT
Both extracts provide important information about legal and factual encumbrances on a property that are not visible in either the land register or the Liegenschaftskarte. They are essential for property transactions, construction projects, and financing applications, as they can significantly affect the value and usability of a property and are routinely requested by banks.
PROPERTY MAPS | LIEGENSCHAFTSKARTEN
The Liegenschaftskarte is a true-to-scale, graphical representation of all land parcels. It is the official map basis of the land register and serves as precise evidence of the location and boundaries of a plot of land. Both an official (amtlich) and an unofficial (nicht amtlich) version are available.
Frequently ordered together
Published on
01 April 2025
Latest update on
29 April 2026
The Bauakte is commonly required for property transactions, financing applications, and planned renovation or conversion work. It provides a full overview of the construction history and helps identify legal and structural risks at an early stage.
Processing by the responsible authorities typically takes up to 8 weeks. The exact timeframe depends on the relevant authority and the scope of the documents requested.
The land registry office (or a notary) confirms with an official seal, stamp, and signature that this extract is an exact and complete match with the original. Considered a public document with full legal evidential value before courts and authorities. Required for the final completion of a property financing at the notary appointment, debt restructuring, court proceedings, or registering a land charge.
The Altlastenauskunft provides information on whether any entries exist in the contaminated sites register (Altlastenkataster) for a specific property.
• Liability: It clarifies whether any soil contamination or "Altlasten" (e.g. from former industrial use or petrol stations) are known. This protects buyers from unexpected remediation costs.
• Security: Banks almost always require this document for a financing application.
• Scope: The extract typically includes information on suspected contaminated sites, harmful soil changes, and any remediation measures already carried out.
• Liegenschaftskarte (official): It is an official document issued by the cadastral office and carries "public faith" status. This means it holds full legal evidential value. Authorities, notaries, and banks require this version for building applications, notarial acts, or property financing.
• Liegenschaftskarte (unofficial): This serves purely for informational purposes. It has no legal binding effect and is generally not accepted for formal processes (such as a loan application or building permit). It lacks the official seal and the authority's guarantee of accuracy.