How to know if a property has a certificate of occupancy?

If you are considering buying, selling, or renting a property, one of the first checks you should make is to determine if the property has a valid certificate of occupancy. This document is essential to certify that a dwelling meets the minimum requirements for habitation, and its validity can directly influence your decision. In this post, I will explain, clearly and practically, how to know if a property has a certificate of occupancy and what tools are available to you to verify it.

To begin, you need to have some property details at hand. You can check the certificate using the exact address, the cadastral reference, or, if you already have it, the certificate of occupancy number. With this information, you can validate whether the property has a current certificate, if it has expired, or if none is registered.

When checking the certificate of occupancy, it is common to encounter three situations:

• Valid certificate: everything is in order; the property meets current habitability conditions.
• Expired certificate: you must process a renewal.
• No certificate registered: this may be because the property is very old, the information has not been digitized, or the certificate has become extinct over time.

In Catalonia, the most reliable way to check certificates of occupancy is through the official search engine of the Agència de l’Habitatge. It is a very simple system, designed so that you can access it without needing technical knowledge.

This certificate of occupancy search engine allows you to consult information in different ways:

• By full address: useful if you know the street, number, and floor.
• By cadastral reference: the most precise way to locate the property within the records.
• By certificate of occupancy number: if you already know this number, it is the fastest option.

The results will show you if the certificate is valid, when it expires, or if the information is not available. You will also be able to see what type of certificate it is (first occupation or renewal), an especially relevant aspect for old or renovated properties.

This certificate of occupancy check is free and you can perform it as many times as you need, whether you are considering a purchase or want to rent.

Common problems when checking the certificate of occupancy

When searching for information through the official search engine, you may encounter some situations that raise doubts. The most common are:

• The certificate does not appear: it is possible that the property is old and the record has not been digitized.
• Errors in the address: if the property’s numbering has changed or its description has been modified, it may not appear correctly.
• Expiration not updated: in some cases, the certificate may have expired, but the system does not yet show it as such.
• Duplicate certificates: especially in old buildings, there may be more than one record that needs to be interpreted carefully.

Do you need the certificate to buy or rent? Espígul makes it easy for you

The certificate is an essential document for both buying and renting a property. It is necessary to contract utilities, formalize operations, and guarantee that the property meets habitability conditions.

If you have any questions about whether the property you are considering has a certificate, or if you need to renew an existing one, we can assist you throughout the process.

At Espígul, we help you manage the application, review its status, and avoid setbacks at the time of signing. The goal is for you to make a safe decision with all the necessary information.