What is it and why do I need it?

The certificate of habitability is a document that certifies that a home meets the minimum living conditions, such as the minimum usable area, the rooms and the essential equipment.

The certificate is necessary and essential to sell or rent a home and to register for water, electricity, gas, telecommunications and other services, and must be carried out by a competent technician.

As a general rule, the validity of the certificate of habitability is 15 years, although depending on when the certificate has been granted, it can vary between 10 and 25 years.

There are three types of certificate, although the most common of our clients is the second-occupancy certificate:

1. Second occupation: for existing homes.
2. First occupation: for newly built homes
3. First occupation of rehabilitation: when a rehabilitation has been carried out in a house with an increase in the number of houses, change of use from premises to house, total redistribution of the house, etc.

What steps do I need to take to obtain the certificate?

If you want to sell or rent your home, and you are not sure if your home has a certificate of occupancy, you can find out by calling 012 or by contacting our Technical Department here. If you have it granted, you can request a duplicate from the Catalan Housing Agency.

If you do not have the certificate, or it has expired, it is necessary for an architect or technical architect to make the certificate of habitability. With the address of the home we have enough to obtain the minimum information and prior to the inspection of the home.

Our technician will then contact you to arrange a visual inspection of the property, which may take between 20-40 minutes depending on the property. In this inspection, it is verified that the home meets the minimum living conditions set by current regulations according to the year of construction of the home.

Once the inspection has been carried out, we will proceed with the preparation of documentation and processing of the certificate of habitability at the Agència de l’Habitatge de Catalunya. The certificate is usually issued within 30 working days of the registration of the application. Once granted, we will give you the certificate of habitability.

What if I want to buy a property without a certificate?

In Catalonia, as we have mentioned before, the certificate of habitability is necessary for the sale of a property, as it is an essential document for the deed of the house. In addition, it is necessary to be able to apply for a mortgage. However, there are some exceptional situations where it is not necessary (if you are in this case and need more information, you can contact us).

What if I want to rent a property without a certificate?

In the same way, the certificate of habitability is necessary to rent a home on a legal scale. In the case of rentals, the certificate is required for the rental agreement and must be given to the tenants. If you do not have a certificate, there may be problems obtaining basic supplies, registration, or home insurance.