The certificate of occupancy: a term that resonates when selling a property. Its importance lies in certifying the habitability of a home, this certificate validates that a property meets the minimum standards to be inhabited with health, hygiene and safety conditions, but getting this document is a process full of questions and procedures.
We break down each step necessary to obtain the coveted cédula de habitabilidad and thus ensure a successful real estate transaction.
What is the Cédula de Habitabilidad?
The certificate of occupancy is an official endorsement that certifies that a dwelling meets the minimum requirements to be inhabited. Regardless of its name, whether certificate or certificate, it is the same, its purpose is to ensure that the space offers basic conditions of habitability. It is usually valid for 15 years and conforms to regional regulations that establish the minimum standards for a dwelling.
Types of Certificates according to the Age of the Dwelling
- First occupancy: issued for newly constructed homes.
- Second occupancy: corresponding to existing properties, second hand properties.
- First occupation of rehabilitation: applicable to dwellings subject to integral rehabilitation.
How to obtain it?
Obtaining a certificate of occupancy involves a rigorous and specific process that requires the intervention of a qualified architect. This professional, either a senior architect or a registered technician, performs an exhaustive evaluation of the property, verifying its compliance with the requirements established by the City Council, since in the Canary Islands, the competence of this certificate is of each City Council.
The first step is the issuance of a certificate of habitability, a detailed report on the conditions of the house, which is essential and must be endorsed by the respective professional association for the municipality to be able to grant it. This whole procedure, from the request to the technician to the final approval by the municipality, can take up to three months.
Requirements for acquiring the certificate of occupancy
The requirements to obtain it are as follows.
- Minimum area of 36 square meters.
- Minimum spaces: living room, dining room, hygienic chamber and kitchen.
- Compliance with energy efficiency regulations.
- Exclusive access to the dwelling, without having to pass through premises that do not belong to it.
- Practicable accessibility, especially between floors, kitchen, hygienic chamber and common areas.
- Internal doors with a minimum width of 0.70 meters and a minimum height of 2 meters.
- Internal stairs with a width of 0.90 meters and handrails of 0.90 meters high.
- Minimum height of 2.50 meters between pavement and ceiling.
- Facade open to the exterior space for lighting and ventilation.
- Common use area greater than 20 square meters.
- Minimum room size of 6 square meters.
- Direct natural ventilation and lighting in common areas and rooms.
- Minimum equipment: sanitary services, hot/cold water, water drainage, electricity, kitchen, electronic access to the building and telecommunications services.
- Protection for differences in level of more than 0.55 meters by means of resistant elements.
Required Documentation
Public administrations are very strict about the documentation they need to issue certificates. Therefore, if you forget any of the following documents, they will refuse to provide you with the certificate.
- Application form.
- Proof of payment of the corresponding fee.
- Photocopy of the NIF of the owner or authorized representative.
- Copy of the property deed or lease contract.
How much does it cost?
- The price of a certificate of occupancy varies between 65 and 112 euros for an apartment.
- Between 75 and 160 euros for a single-family home.
- It can be between 150 and 300 euros in the case of commercial premises.
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