How does a notary verify clean title in Malta?

Dr. Michael LaferlaNotary · Notary, Notarial Council of Malta

ProceduresReviewed: 6 July 2026

The short answer

The clearest confirmation of clean title is finding the seller's own deed of acquisition — the contract by which they bought the property — and then establishing from the searches that the property stayed in their ownership, was never sold on to a third party, and carries no hypothecs or debts. When those line up, the title is clean.

It starts with the seller's deed of acquisition

As Dr. Laferla explains, "the easiest way of confirming that the property has a clean title is when we find the original deed of acquisition with which" the seller bought the property. That deed is the anchor — the documented moment the seller became the owner, and the starting point for tracing everything since.

Then the searches confirm nothing has changed

From that deed, the searches confirm two things have held true ever since:

It remained the seller's — the property wasn't sold on to a third party after they acquired it.
It's unencumbered — there are no hypothecs or debts registered over it.

When the deed of acquisition and the searches agree, the notary can be satisfied the seller can pass clean, transferable ownership to you.

Why the deed chain matters

This is why the seller's deed of acquisition is one of the first documents the notary asks for. It is the thread the whole title check hangs on — without it, confirming clean title is far harder.

Sources

Dr. Michael Laferla — Yitaku Asks video (deed of acquisition + searches; remained the vendor's; no hypothecs or debts)
Notarial Profession and Notarial Archives Act, Chapter 55 — the notary's duty as to title
Civil Code of Malta, Chapter 16 — transfer of ownership; hypothecs
Maltese notarial practice — the deed of acquisition as the anchor of the title search