If you are about to list your property for sale on our site, you first of all need to make sure you have a valid habitation certificate (Cédula de Habitabilidad).
Sellers
If you are reselling a property that is less than 5 years old, chances are you have the Licencia de Primera Ocupación which your builder would have supplied to you. You now need. to apply for the secondary occupacion certificate (generally referred to by most as the habitation certificate).
If you are the second, or greater owner, and you have had the property less than 10 years, you may well already have the habitation certificate (the person who sold to you should have provided) and it may still be valid, though if you have made structural changes to the property or grounds you will need to get this updated.
Buyers
If you are a buyer, the seller should give this to you when you purchase, and also make available to view so you can check that all is in order. You’ll also need this to reassign utilities and make an application for a mortgage.
Ordinarily the seller will pay for and provide this, though if the period of validity of the certificate is short, you should ask for a more up to date one.
If the validity of the certificate has more than 5 years, but want to insist on a new one, you might be expected to pay for this.
Some important points
- A pre-requisite for selling and marketing your property.
- New up to date certificates are generally valid for 10 years.
- Seller must provide to buyer or renter.
- Certifies that the building can be lived in and meets all local and national regulations.
- Needs to change names on utility suppliers.
- Needed for mortgage applications.
- Needed for inheritance.
- Is requested at local Town Hall along with architects report/certificate if applying for an updated certificate.
- Town hall might provide a copy/duplicate (free) if there is still certification in force.
