# Habitation certificates



## Guest (Apr 2, 2014)

Help! We are looking at properties and receiving conflicting information about habitation certs. So - what exactly is a habitation cert or where could we find out? What does it have to contain? Is it a legal requirement or something which is nice to have? Is it just a statement that you have electricity and water? So much still to learn…….


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## Teadrinker (Mar 16, 2014)

This article gives a good simple definition 

! Murcia Today - Importance Of The Certificate Of Habitation


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

So, is it only for new properties,and if your house has it, is that a guarantee that you can't be told later on down the line that your property is illegal?


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> So, is it only for new properties,and if your house has it, is that a guarantee that you can't be told later on down the line that your property is illegal?


Don't all houses have to have a _Cédula de Habitabilidad_?



Don't even *THINK* of buying a place without this paperwork. DO NOT let anyone tell you "Oh, it'll be easy to get!" I cannot stress this enough.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Pesky Wesky said:


> So, is it only for new properties,and if your house has it, is that a guarantee that you can't be told later on down the line that your property is illegal?


No. The article is only talking about habitation licences of FIRST occupation.

No, it's not a guarantee but it all helps.




elenetxu said:


> Don't all houses have to have a _Cédula de Habitabilidad_?
> 
> 
> Don't even *THINK* of buying a place without this paperwork. DO NOT let anyone tell you "Oh, it'll be easy to get!" I cannot stress this enough.


Yes. But there are two different sorts.

First occupation licence for new houses and "cedula de habitabilidad de segunda o posteriores ocupaciones" for older ones.


Some people will try and tell you that older properties don't need/have them. Whislt this might be true, I would still insist on seeing one for any property that I was looking at. It just gives another level of 'peace of mind'.


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2014)

elenetxu said:


> Don't all houses have to have a _Cédula de Habitabilidad_?
> 
> 
> 
> Don't even *THINK* of buying a place without this paperwork. DO NOT let anyone tell you "Oh, it'll be easy to get!" I cannot stress this enough.


Yes - but why? I've done some preliminary research (of course) but I can't get to the bottom of this, particularly for older properties. The info on the net is somewhat contradictory. Thanks to the link posted above I now see there are two certs, the one for new property and the cedula. It seems to me that older properties, whatever the situation might or might not have been a few years ago, are now going to be hard if not impossible to sell without one. I've seen a list of the criteria to be fulfilled for obtaining one and it seems fairly clearcut. If the criteria were fulfilled, would be it a case of a two month wait, 200 euros and bobs your uncle? Or is this a grey area? Any help appreciated. I'm in a campsite with internet access which isn't always good or I'd search this info out myself - not being lazy, honestly! And not stupid enough to go near a property without one - but this question has raised its head for a variety of reasons.


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

meetloaf said:


> Yes - but why? I've done some preliminary research (of course) but I can't get to the bottom of this, particularly for older properties. The info on the net is somewhat contradictory. Thanks to the link posted above I now see there are two certs, the one for new property and the cedula. It seems to me that older properties, whatever the situation might or might not have been a few years ago, are now going to be hard if not impossible to sell without one. I've seen a list of the criteria to be fulfilled for obtaining one and it seems fairly clearcut. If the criteria were fulfilled, would be it a case of a two month wait, 200 euros and bobs your uncle? Or is this a grey area? Any help appreciated. I'm in a campsite with internet access which isn't always good or I'd search this info out myself - not being lazy, honestly! And not stupid enough to go near a property without one - but this question has raised its head for a variety of reasons.


They are both cedulas as all this means is card or certificate.

Provided you meet the requirements then, as you say, they are straight forward to get - or as easy as any bureaucratic process is in Spain.

Personally I don't see the issue, just make sure that any property you are interested in has one. If it doesn't, then you need to ask why?


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## 213979 (Apr 11, 2013)

meetloaf said:


> Yes - but why? I've done some preliminary research (of course) but I can't get to the bottom of this, particularly for older properties. The info on the net is somewhat contradictory. Thanks to the link posted above I now see there are two certs, the one for new property and the cedula. It seems to me that older properties, whatever the situation might or might not have been a few years ago, are now going to be hard if not impossible to sell without one. I've seen a list of the criteria to be fulfilled for obtaining one and it seems fairly clearcut. If the criteria were fulfilled, would be it a case of a two month wait, 200 euros and bobs your uncle? Or is this a grey area? Any help appreciated. I'm in a campsite with internet access which isn't always good or I'd search this info out myself - not being lazy, honestly! And not stupid enough to go near a property without one - but this question has raised its head for a variety of reasons.


I would not buy a house without one. From what I understand, it means the property is habitable. I thought homes over a certain number of years old had to re-apply. 

Your best choice woulf be to consult an independent lawyer if you are looking at a home without a cedula.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

On Camposol, very few have the C of H, yet they are on mains electricity and water, pay IBI, get building licences etc, sell houses with no problem at all.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

extranjero said:


> On Camposol, very few have the C of H, yet they are on mains electricity and water, pay IBI, get building licences etc, sell houses with no problem at all.


Perhaps because the people buying and selling on Camposol are mainly foreigners?


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Perhaps because the people buying and selling on Camposol are mainly foreigners?


Most are British!


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

extranjero said:


> Most are British!


Exactly, so perhaps most of the people on Camposol don't know what this C of H is and that's why the properties are bought and sold without them - not because it's not a necessary document.

Anyway I only asked about this because when we bought our house (20 yrs ago) and friends bought theirs (17 and 15 years ago) either this law was not enforced or it hadn't been thought of yet. 
So if we sold our house we'd have to get one done, right?


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## Pazcat (Mar 24, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> So if we sold our house we'd have to get one done, right?


That's the info we have just been told and apparently it's best done a few months in advance because it takes a while.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Exactly, so perhaps most of the people on Camposol don't know what this C of H is and that's why the properties are bought and sold without them - not because it's not a necessary document.
> 
> Anyway I only asked about this because when we bought our house (20 yrs ago) and friends bought theirs (17 and 15 years ago) either this law was not enforced or it hadn't been thought of yet.
> So if we sold our house we'd have to get one done, right?


Rather insulting! People on Camposol know exactly what a C of H is! The council cannot issue them until they adopt Camposol, that is when everything has been finished off to their satisfaction.
You cannot just go and get them when you feel like it! Lack of one has not been a problem to the many people who have sold their houses.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

extranjero said:


> Rather insulting! People on Camposol know exactly what a C of H is! The council cannot issue them until they adopt Camposol, that is when everything has been finished off to their satisfaction.
> You cannot just go and get them when you feel like it! Lack of one has not been a problem to the many people who have sold their houses.


Sorry, I didn't think it was insulting, just logical!!


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## Madliz (Feb 4, 2011)

The only time I've ever heard of these cedulas it was relating to properties in Cataluña or the Communidad Valenciana. I have never heard them mentioned elsewhere and I have been looking at properties in various provinces for various years.

When we bought our house 20 years ago it had a certificado de primer ocupación and I believe that was all that was necessary - and still is. I had a chat with my local notario a few months back and verified all the documents that would be necessary should a sale go ahead and the only difference today is the energy certificate, which I have.


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## extranjero (Nov 16, 2012)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Sorry, I didn't think it was insulting, just logical!!


Why would you think it was logical to assume that people on Camposol didn't know what a C of H was, especially since they've lived here for many years, do their research etc?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Madliz said:


> The only time I've ever heard of these cedulas it was relating to properties in Cataluña or the Communidad Valenciana. I have never heard them mentioned elsewhere and I have been looking at properties in various provinces for various years.
> 
> When we bought our house 20 years ago it had a certificado de primer ocupación and I believe that was all that was necessary - and still is. I had a chat with my local notario a few months back and verified all the documents that would be necessary should a sale go ahead and the only difference today is the energy certificate, which I have.


 But that is the cedula.  

The "certificado de primer ocupación" is a habitation licence.


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## Guest (Apr 3, 2014)

Now do you see why I'm confused??????

At least one question has been answered before I even asked it, what happens to houses built before these were even thought of.


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## Teadrinker (Mar 16, 2014)

I would not buy a house without a habitation certificate.
You do not know what problems it will cause in the future


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