To cadastral floor plan is a document showing a property as recorded in the Italian Cadastre. It is a technical drawing of the internal layout of an apartment, office, shop or other property unit, showing its rooms, access points, ancillary areas and overall configuration.
Although it may look like a simple drawing, it plays an important role in the property’s legal affairs. It identifies the property and allows its representation in cadastral records to be checked against its actual condition. It is therefore often requested for sales, inheritances, mortgage applications, building procedures and technical checks.
A cadastral floor plan is not proof of ownership. Ownership is established through notarial deeds, succession documents and land-register records. The plan has a descriptive function: it depicts the property and enables its correct identification within the cadastral system.
Its importance has increased considerably, particularly in property sales. The law requires the plan filed with the Cadastre to correspond to the property’s actual layout. If internal spaces have changed—for example through new partitions, removal of walls or reorganisation of rooms—the plan may need updating before the sale.
This is known as cadastral conformity: agreement between cadastral records and the property’s actual condition. It is now one of the most important preliminary checks in property transactions, because discrepancies may delay or complicate completion.
Cadastral conformity must not be confused with planning conformity. The former concerns the accuracy of cadastral information and drawings; the latter concerns compliance with building permissions and planning rules. They are different checks, both important but serving different purposes.
The plan also matters in inheritance procedures, technical valuations and banks’ mortgage assessments. It helps establish the property’s extent and main characteristics accurately.
In conclusion, a cadastral floor plan is the official depiction of a property held by the Cadastre. Although it does not certify ownership, it is essential for identifying and describing the property and checking correspondence with reality. It is therefore among the most important documents to examine when buying, selling, inheriting or regularising a property.