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Cédula de Habitabilidad ( Occupancy certificate)
Spanish News Today Factsheets (Property)
Property: 1: Cédula de Habitabilidad ( Occupancy certificate)
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Cédula de Habitabilidad - FACTSHEET
What is a Cédula?
The cédula de habitabilidad is often translated into English as “certificate of occupancy” or “habitation certificate”. It is the paperwork issued by the local town hall that confirms a property complies with the necessary legal construction and health & safety requirements.
All buildings used for accommodation or living in must have a cédula. The certificate usually has an expiry date after which the owner must apply for a renewal. How long a cédula lasts varies from region to region and may be as little as five years, as much as fifteen or even be ‘ever-lasting’ as long as no change is made to the property.
Why do you need one?
Technically it is illegal to live in a property that does not have a valid cédula and while the law (as on so many things) may have been fairly relaxed in the past, recent years have seen a much stricter approach being taken.
A cédula must usually be produced when:
• Letting a property.
• Selling a property.
• Taking out a mortgage.
• Connecting to utilities (water, electricity, etc.)
What to do if there is no cédula
If you are buying a property, make sure that your lawyer requests a copy of the cédula. Better yet, ask the estate agents to confirm that a valid cédula exists before you even view a property – that way you save complications and likely disappointment later on.
If the property is a new-build or a renovation then the architect involved should make arrangements to obtain the cédula.
If the property you own (and may be living in) has no cédula, the technical department of your local town hall should be able to advise on the procedure for obtaining one.
It is possible to legally buy or sell a property without a cédula – all that needs to happen is that the buyer waives the requirement. However, the restrictions that would follow, why would they (or you) want to?
As always on legal matters, requirements differ from region to region and they also change over time as new legislation is passed. For all questions regarding specific properties and/or current regulations, consulting a local lawyer is the safest option.
For other info to help you deal with common issues in Spain go to the index of Ex-pat fact sheets