Find out road rights, plot boundaries and possible reliction area
If your cottage road passes through someone else’s land, it is possible to establish a right of use, i.e. an encumbrance for the land owned by the other party. Encumbrances should be established formally, as they are permanent rights that are recorded in the cadastral register. In that case, the right to use the road is retained even if the owner of the property changes. Valid encumbrances are indicated in a cadastral register extract or on a cadastral index map. Sometimes the determination of road rights requires a private road survey.
When buying a cottage, the boundaries of the plot should be checked. If the boundary markers on the plot are in place and their locations are known, there is no need to worry. If the boundary marker has been lost or the property line is otherwise unclear, we recommend applying for a demarcation from the National Land Survey. In the demarcation process, we determine the location of the boundary and build the necessary boundary markers to replace the missing ones.
When buying a seaside plot, it is advisable to check the situation regarding any reliction area. Due to land uplift or the lowering of the water level, the water’s edge may retreat, resulting in an additional land area on the shore, or areliction area. However, the boundaries of the property do not automatically change when the natural environment changes. Usually the cottage owner has the right to redeem the land that has emerged on the shore. This should be considered at least if you are planning earthworks, wish to restore the shore or build a pier.
Pay the transfer tax
After the purchase, the new owner must submit a transfer tax return and pay the transfer tax. The transfer tax return must be submitted and tax must be paid to theFinnish Tax Administration in the MyTax service. The new owner must submit the transfer tax return and pay tax to the Finnish Tax Administration. If there are several buyers such as spouses, each must submit their own transfer tax return and pay their share of transfer tax.
Apply for the registration of property ownership, or the registration of title
Once the transfer tax return has been submitted and the tax paid, the new owner must apply for the registration of property ownership, or the registration of title. This must be done within six months of signing the deed of sale.
You can easily apply for the registration in the NLS E-services (in Finnish and in Swedish). The Asiointiapuri service assistant helps you check which attachments are required. You can apply for the registration of ownership with a single application for all properties covered by the deed of sale or agreement. You can apply for the registration of ownership for yourself and on behalf of others.
Make sure to apply for the registration only after all transfer tax matters are settled – this helps you avoid late filing or late payment fees, which start accruing as soon as the registration application is submitted.
Did you receive the cottage as a gift?
If you receive a cottage as a gift, you must apply for the registration of ownership (title registration) within six months from signing the deed of gift. The deed of gift must be signed in the presence of a public purchase witness, who will forward the document to the NLS. If the transfer of the property is completed through the Property Transaction Service, no separate application is necessary to register the ownership.
You can check the processing status of your application in the NLS E-services.
Basic information about the cottage can easily be found
You can check your own plot’s basic information through the NLS e-service. Sign in with your online banking codes to see the properties you own as well as their rights of use and surface areas. The service is free of charge. For a fee, you can also order extracts, certificates and maps of your properties through the online service.
The coordinates of the cottage for emergencies can be obtained from MapSite. Enter the address in the field that opens from the magnifying glass, then click on the XYº key on the right and select ETRS89 geographic (~ WGS84) as the coordinate system.
Further information
Hanna-Mari Virsunen, Service Manager, NLS Customer Service
Tel. +358 50 436 5944
hanna-mari.virsunen@maanmittauslaitos.fi