Heftelser (encumbrances)

Heftelser are burdens registered on a property. They can be a mortgage (a loan secured against the home), servitutes (rights others hold, such as a right of way or a right to run utilities), or other limits on how the property may be used. They are listed in the grunnboken at Kartverket, the public register of rights and burdens on real property. The seller’s loans (monetary encumbrances) are normally cleared during settlement, while easements and other burdens often carry on with the property. As a buyer, ask for a fresh land register extract and read through the heftelser, because a right of way across the plot or an old easement can affect what you can do with the home, so settle it with the agent before takeover.