In Finland, there are 230,000 properties without a clarification of ownership. After the ownership has been clarified, the names of the estate’s shareholders are registered in the Land Information System, which is maintained by the National Land Survey of Finland. Clarifying ownership makes it easier to handle matters, especially when a property owned by the estate is sold or divided. Once the ownership has been clarified, the certificate of title will directly show the owners of the property, and the seller will not need to present any other evidence of ownership during the sale.
Electronic property transactions are easier when ownership information is available in the register
When the ownership information of the estate is up to date, the shareholders of the estate can carry out the property transaction electronically in the National Land Survey of Finland's Property Transaction Service. The shareholders of the estate do not need to travel to the conclusion of the sale, as the deed of sale can be reviewed and signed even from the cottage pier.
“It is very much worth it to clarify the ownership of the estate: during a sale, you won’t need to dig out the will or the estate inventory. The estate documentation contains a lot of information, including its assets, and it might not be pleasant to show this information to a buyer who is not part of the estate,” says Director Pia Aulio from the National Land Survey of Finland.
Learn about our e-service and the information about your properties
You can apply for a clarification of property ownership in the NLS e-service. The price of a clarification of ownership is EUR 172, which is payable upon submission of the application. Any of the estate’s shareholders can submit the application without a power of attorney or signature from the other shareholders. The deed of the estate inventory, an extract of family relations and any will must be included with the application.
It is advisable to apply for clarification of ownership in good time, at the latest when the shareholders of the estate start planning to sell the property.
“All property owners should log in to the National Land Survey of Finland’s e-service and learn how to use it. It is easy to check your own ownership in the service,” says Jenna Berg, a development specialist at the National Land Survey of Finland.
Further information
Jenna Berg, specialist
firstname.lastname@nls.fi