The land register is governed by Art. 942 ff. ZGB and is kept cantonally, by the land registries. Each property has its own page with several sections: ownership (who owns it), easements and land charges (e.g. rights of way, building rights, usufruct), mortgages, and provisional entries and annotations. Together with the official survey (cadastral plan) this gives a complete picture of a property.
A core principle is the public faith of the land register: anyone relying in good faith on an entry is protected – ownership of a property is only acquired with the land register entry, not already with the contract. Property transfers, new mortgages or easements must therefore always be entered. Entries are made on application, usually by the notarising officer after public notarisation.
Access is regulated in graded form. Certain details such as ownership, property description and easements are viewable by persons with a legitimate interest; some data (e.g. owner's name, area) are partly public. A land register extract often costs around CHF 20 to 100 depending on canton and scope (no guarantee). For a full, certified extract or for transfers, additional land register fees apply, usually based on the market value.
The land register is central for buyers, sellers, banks, notaries and authorities. Before any property purchase a current extract should be checked: it shows whether the property is encumbered (mortgages), whether third parties have rights (rights of way, building right) or whether building bans and annotations exist. Ambiguities should be clarified before notarisation with a real estate or legal professional – an overlooked right of way or easement can significantly affect value and use.