Habitation Certificate in Spain (Cédula de Habitabilidad): What It Proves When You Buy in Catalonia (2026)
· 14 November 2026
A habitation certificate in Spain (cédula de habitabilidad, in Catalan cèdula d'habitabilitat) confirms that a home meets the minimum conditions to live in: floor area, rooms and basic services. In Catalonia it's issued by the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya, a resale home's certificate lasts 15 years, and the notary asks for it before signing the sale. What it doesn't confirm is that the house complies with planning rules: a house with an extension built without permission can still have a valid cédula.
A video by an estate agent on the Costa Blanca has been doing the rounds about the "licencia de segunda ocupación". It said only an architect can prepare it, the town hall's planning department issues it, it shows neighbours' complaints and distances to the fence, the notary doesn't ask for it and it has to be renewed every 10 years. Some of that is true in the Valencia region. Very little of it applies in Catalonia: the document has a different name, a different body issues it, it lasts longer and the notary does ask for it.
Here's what the cédula is in Catalonia, what to do if it has expired, how to check it before you pay a deposit and, most of all, what it won't tell you about the house. General information as of November 2026; check your own case with your lawyer.
Second occupation licence or cédula: Valencia and Catalonia work differently
In the Valencia region the owner files a declaration of second occupation (declaración responsable) with the town hall, backed by a technician's certificate. Catalonia has no municipal second occupation licence. The cédula, a document from the regional government, does that job.
| Question | Valencia region | Catalonia |
|---|---|---|
| Name of the document | Declaración responsable de segunda ocupación | Cèdula d'habitabilitat de segona ocupació |
| Who issues it | The town hall receives the declaration and its technicians check it | The Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya (or the town hall, where the power has been delegated to it) |
| Who signs the technical certificate | A qualified technician, including a technical architect | An architect or a technical architect |
| How long it lasts | 10 years; renewed on a sale or a new water or electricity contract | 15 years (25 for a new build) |
| Does the notary ask for it? | We found no rule requiring it | Yes, by law |
| Does it show neighbours' complaints or boundary distances? | No | No |
Can you sell or buy a house in Catalonia without a habitation certificate?
As a rule, no. Before the signing, the notary has to require a valid cédula and hand it to the buyer (Llei 18/2007, art. 132). Without one, you can't take out a water, electricity or gas contract either (art. 26.3).
For a resale home only, the buyer can expressly release the seller from this in three cases (Decret 141/2012, art. 10):
- To refurbish or demolish. For a refurbishment, a technician's report must say the home will be able to get a cédula after the works. The Land Registry notes this until the cédula is issued or the demolition is proved.
- It won't be used as a home. Both parties state this in the deed.
- For exceptional reasons. The parties agree before the notary that the cédula will be handed over after the sale. The application must already have been filed, with the technician's certificate.
What about a mortgage? The rules on mortgage valuations (Orden ECO/805/2003) don't mention the cédula. Each bank sets its own criteria, so ask yours before you assume anything.
Can you sign an arras contract without a cédula?
Catalan law says nothing about the deposit contract as such. It does say two things that matter before you pay a deposit:
- The cédula must exist from the moment the home is advertised. Offering or advertising a home without one is a minor offence, with a fine of €3,000 to €9,000 (Llei 18/2007, art. 59.i, 125.2.c and 118).
- Before you pay any money towards the price, you must receive basic written information about the home; the cédula details count as enough information on its physical condition (art. 60.2 and 60.4).
In practice: ask for the cédula number before the arras and check it yourself. If the home can't get one, the law treats selling it as a home as a very serious offence (art. 123.1.c). Our guide to the contrato de arras covers the rest of the deposit contract.
How to check whether a home has a cédula
The Agència de l'Habitatge has a public online cédula search. You search by cédula number or by cadastral reference, not by address (the reference is on the IBI council tax receipt or on the Cadastre website). It shows whether there's a valid cédula and the home's usable floor area.
That floor area is useful beyond the cédula itself: you can compare it with the nota simple and the Cadastre, as explained below. A copy of a valid cédula is free and can be requested online ("Còpia de cèdula d'habitabilitat vigent").
Expired habitation certificate: what to do
A cédula can't be extended. When it expires, the owner applies for a new second occupation cédula, with a new certificate from an architect or technical architect who visits the house. That certificate is valid for 12 months.
- Timing. The Agència decides within 30 working days (Decret 141/2012, art. 16).
- Fee. €20.90 in person and €14.65 online, as of November 2026. The technician's fee comes on top, and each sets their own.
- Who applies. Usually the seller, who needs it to sell. If it has expired when you become interested in the house, it's best for the application to go in before the arras, and for the contract to say what happens if it isn't granted.
What the cédula doesn't check
The decree is explicit: a home not complying with planning rules is not a reason to refuse the cédula (Decret 141/2012, art. 17.2). The cédula checks that you can live in the house. It doesn't tell you whether the pool, the enclosed porch or the extra bedroom had permission, or whether the house is far enough from the boundaries.
For that you need other papers:
- Compare square metres, not bedrooms. The nota simple from the Land Registry (€9.02) gives the floor area but doesn't list the bedrooms. Compare the floor area in the nota simple and the Cadastre with the cédula or a measurement, bearing in mind that the cédula gives usable floor area, not built area. An extra bedroom may be no more than a partition wall; a house larger than its papers points to an extension.
- Ask the town hall for a planning status certificate (certificat de règim urbanístic). Anyone can request one, it's issued within a month and lasts six months (€38.40 in Palafrugell). It shows the land classification and what the local plan allows.
- If you have doubts about building work, ask whether there are any planning enforcement proceedings, or ask to see the building permit file. Some town halls, such as Girona's, issue a certificate for this.
An extension more than six years old. In Catalonia, six years after the works were finished the town hall can no longer order the property to be returned to its original state (TRLU, art. 207). That doesn't make the work legal: it remains "non-conforming" (fora d'ordenació), a status in which only maintenance and repairs are allowed, not structural strengthening (art. 108). On non-developable land, green zones and roads there is no time limit at all.
Minimum sizes: the fourth bedroom test
If a listing says four bedrooms and one looks small, the cédula minimums help you tell whether it counts as a bedroom. They depend on when the home was built (Decret 141/2012, annexes 1 and 2):
| Requirement | Home built before 1984 | New build |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum usable floor area of the home | 20 m² | 36 m², with a ceiling height of 2.50 m |
| Minimum bedroom size | 5 m², fitting a 1.80 × 1.80 m square, with an outside window of at least 0.40 m² | 6 m² |
The cédula and holiday lets
For a tourist let (HUT), the cédula sets the ceiling: you can't take more guests than it allows, and 15 at most (Decret 75/2020, art. 221-2.1). In 262 Catalan municipalities a new HUT also needs prior planning permission, subject to a cap of 10 tourist lets per 100 inhabitants. See our guide to tourist rentals on the Costa Brava.
Three practical rules
1. Ask for the cédula number before the arras. Look it up in the Agència's search with the cadastral reference. If there's no valid cédula, the contract should say who applies for it and what happens if it isn't granted.
2. Compare three floor areas. Nota simple, Cadastre and cédula. If the house is clearly bigger than the papers say, your lawyer should ask the town hall about permits before you pay anything.
3. Don't mistake the cédula for proof of legality. The cédula says you can live in the house. Whether an extension is legal is checked at the town hall, and the actual condition of the house with a building survey. For the other documents, see our guides to the nota simple and the pitfalls of buying property in Spain.
Questions people ask
What is a habitation certificate in Spain?
It's the cédula de habitabilidad, the document that confirms a home meets the minimum conditions to live in: floor area, rooms and basic services. In Catalonia it's issued by the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya and lasts 15 years for a resale home and 25 years for a new build.
Can you sell a house in Spain without a habitation certificate?
In Catalonia, as a rule, no: the notary must require a valid cédula (Llei 18/2007, art. 132). For a resale home the buyer can expressly waive it only if the house will be refurbished or demolished, won't be used as a home, or, for exceptional reasons, the cédula has already been applied for and will be handed over after the sale. Rules differ in other regions.
How long does a habitation certificate last in Catalonia?
15 years for a resale home (second occupation) and 25 years for a new build (first occupation), under Decret 141/2012, art. 9. It can't be extended: when it expires, a new one is needed with a new technician's certificate.
Does a habitation certificate prove the house is legal?
No. Decret 141/2012 (art. 17.2) says that breaching planning rules is not a reason to refuse a cédula. To find out whether an extension had permission, go to the town hall and ask for a planning status certificate and the building permit file for the works.
How much does a habitation certificate cost in Catalonia?
The regional fee is €20.90 in person and €14.65 online, as of November 2026. On top comes the certificate from an architect or technical architect, who sets their own fee. A copy of a valid cédula is free.
Looking at a house on the Costa Brava?
Tell us what you're looking for (house, villa or flat), where and your budget. Once we have those, we'll send you a shortlist and, for the homes you like, tell you whether they have a valid cédula and whether the floor area matches the nota simple and the Cadastre, before you pay any deposit.
Author: @katy.bon.estate, property consultant on the Costa Brava
Sources: Decret 141/2012, minimum habitability conditions (arts. 9, 10, 13, 15, 16, 17 and annexes 1 and 2); Llei 18/2007, right to housing (arts. 26, 60, 118, 123, 125, 132); Agència de l'Habitatge, cédulas and cédula search; second occupation cédula procedure; TRLU (Decret Legislatiu 1/2010), arts. 105, 108 and 207; Decret 75/2020 on tourism, art. 221-2; Decret llei 3/2023 on tourist homes; Orden ECO/805/2003; Valencia region: Decreto 12/2021 and Ley 3/2004. Checked on 13 and 14 November 2026. Cover: Lloret de Mar. Photo: Lloret Turisme. Arxiu d'Imatges PTCBG, 20188.