Note
Certificate of no debt (community and IBI) when buying in Spain
Quick answer
A certificate of no debt is a written statement that nothing is owed. Ask the community administrator for one for the fees, the seller for the latest property tax receipts and the utility companies for final bills. The seller must also declare in the deed that the fees are paid. Keep all of them.
Applies toBuyers who want proof that the seller has paid the community, the local tax and the utilities.
On this page: 8 sections
§ 1What the certificates are for
A certificate of no debt is the written proof that closes the question raised in checking for debts step by step: is anything owed on this property? It shifts the burden to the seller, who knows the facts, and it gives you a document to rely on. It belongs among the due-diligence items listed in a closer look at due diligence.
§ 2The community certificate
For a flat or a house in a community of owners, ask the administrator for a statement of the fees and any special assessments owed by the unit. The law makes the buyer of a unit answerable with the property for unpaid general expenses of the expired part of the current year and the three previous calendar years, and requires the seller to declare in the deed that they are up to date. The certificate is the document that backs that declaration.
§ 3The property tax
For the yearly local property tax, ask for the last receipts and, if possible, a statement from the local tax office that nothing is outstanding. Check that the receipts match the cadastral reference of the property. The method for the reference is in the cadastre step by step.
§ 4Utilities
Ask for the last bills and arrange a final reading on the day of the deed. Utility contracts are personal, so they are not usually transferred, but old debts can block a new connection. Ask the supplier to confirm that the account is up to date.
§ 5Special assessments
Ask the administrator whether a derrama has been approved or is planned, how much it is and when it is due. A derrama voted before the deed but payable after is a practical risk. Settle in the contract who pays it. The chapter on communities of owners explains the vote that is needed.
§ 6Timing
Ask for the certificates close to the signing, since they show a position at a date. Check the date on each. A certificate that is several months old is of limited use.
§ 7Putting it in the contract
Add to the contract that the seller will deliver the certificates before the deed, and that you may retain an agreed amount from the price if some are missing or show a debt. Your lawyer can draft the clause. The notary can also ask to see them at the signing.
§ 8More on this topic
The nota simple step by step explains the registry extract and checking title step by step explains how to confirm the seller owns the property.
Encumbrances step by step explains mortgages, seizures and other charges and the first occupation licence step by step explains the licence that confirms a home can be lived in.
The habitability certificate step by step explains the regional document confirming minimum living conditions and the energy certificate step by step explains the mandatory energy performance certificate.
The building inspection step by step explains the periodic inspection of older buildings.
FAQRelated questions
Who issues the community certificate?
The administrator of the community, or the secretary with the president’s approval, depending on how the community is organised. Ask the seller to obtain it and to give you the original with its date, since a debt can arise after it is issued.
Is a receipt as good as a certificate?
A receipt shows a payment, but not that nothing else is owed. A certificate covers the whole position at a date. For the community fees the certificate is better. For property tax, the latest receipt plus a check with the tax office is the practical approach.
What if the seller will not provide them?
Treat that as a warning. You can still check some matters yourself, but a seller who will not show proof is hiding a problem or is badly organised. Either way, do not pay the deposit until your lawyer has seen the documents.
Sources
- Dirección General del Catastro: Access to cadastral information (official source, opens in a new window), Free consultation by address or cadastral reference; protected dataLast checked 17 October 2026
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (Ley 49/1960, BOE-A-1960-10906) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 7, 9, 10, 13, 16 and 17 (consolidated text of 3 October 2026)Last checked 26 October 2026
Legal note. How the process works in general. It is not legal advice, and it never replaces an independent Spanish lawyer acting for you.