Liegenschafts

Liegenschaft is a German legal term used primarily in Switzerland, Austria, and parts of Germany to designate a unit of real property. It refers to an officially defined property that typically includes land and any permanent structures or improvements on it, along with associated rights and burdens.

In practice, a Liegenschaft encompasses more than just the bare land parcel; it often includes buildings, fixtures, and related rights (such as easements or servitudes) that pertain to the property. Ownership and encumbrances of a Liegenschaft are recorded in official registers, such as land registers or cadastres, and the unit is identified by a specific cadastral or property number. The concept is used in legal, tax, and planning contexts to describe a single, indivisible asset for registration, transfer, and valuation.

The term is generally distinguished from Grundstück in that a Grundstück is the physical land parcel itself, while a Liegenschaft emphasizes the assembled property unit as an asset, including improvements and rights attached to it. The exact scope and terminology can vary by country or region, and in everyday language, people may use Immobilien (real estate) or Grundstücksbegriff for similar ideas.

Common phrases include Liegenschaftskataster (cadastre of properties) and Liegenschaftsverzeichnis (property registry). In transactions, a Liegenschaft is typically transferred through a notarial act and entered into the relevant land register, with taxes and charges assessed accordingly. The term remains a standard concept in German-speaking real estate law and administration for describing a coherent, registered real property asset.