Requirements to obtain the habitability certificate

To sell a property, you need to have the certificate of habitability. This is a type of document that guarantees that the property meets certain minimum standards regarding structure, hygiene, and health. Therefore, only homes that have this document can be sold. How to obtain it? What requirements are there to determine if a home is habitable? Let’s see.

Requirements for the certificate of habitability

Although generally the requirements for the certificate of habitability fall within what is considered logical and normal, the truth is that they depend on the area. Therefore, they will not be the same in Barcelona as in Madrid. Below we will focus mainly on the requirements to obtain the certificate of habitability in Barcelona, so if you are interested in another location, although they may be similar, there may be differences.

1- Habitability and occupancy

To meet the first requirement regarding habitability and occupancy, the home must meet 3 important factors:

• Minimum usable area of 36 m2
• It must have a living room, a sanitary room, and a kitchen
• If the living room is unique, it must allow for a room of 8 m2

2- Sustainability and energy savings

At this point, the home must comply with the current energy efficiency regulations.

3- Accessibility

• The home must be practicable. If it has two or more floors, it must have access to the sanitary room, kitchen, at least one common use space, and one room.
• The access doors must have a minimum width of 0.70 m and a minimum height of 2 m.
• The minimum width of the stairs is 0.90 m and they must have a railing of at least 0.90 m in height.

4- Minimum height

The minimum habitable height of a home between floor and ceiling is 2.50 m. In the case of sanitary rooms, kitchens, and circulation spaces, it cannot be less than 2.20 m.

5- Partitioning

The partitioning of the home is free, but there are limitations.

• Rooms must be able to be independent
• Independent sanitary rooms
• There cannot be spaces in the home that are of mandatory access to a premises that is not exclusively for the use of the home
• Sanitary rooms cannot provide access to the rest of the rooms

6- Minimum facade

The home must have a facade open to the exterior space of the building with lighting and ventilation.

7- Minimum dimension of common spaces

The spaces that make up what is known as common use space (living room, dining room, kitchen…) must have a minimum of 20 m2.

8- Rooms

The minimum room size is 6 square meters.

9- Natural ventilation and lighting

Common spaces and rooms must have natural lighting and ventilation through openings with a minimum area of 1/8 of the usable area.

10- Storage

Rooms must have a designated storage space in the plan, of at least 0.60 m in width, 2.20 m in height, and 1 meter in length.

11- Hygienic chambers

A dwelling with up to 3 rooms must have at least one wc, one sink, and one shower/bathtub. If it exceeds 4 rooms, it must have 2 wcs, 2 sinks, and 1 shower or bathtub.

12- Clothesline

The dwelling must also have a solution for drying clothes, unless it is not possible due to regulations or municipal ordinances. It must have permanent ventilation and be shielded from public view.

13- Intermediate spaces with the exterior

If the intermediate spaces with the exterior are enclosed, they must have a glazed surface.

14- Equipment and facilities of the dwelling

To grant the certificate of habitability, the dwelling must have:

• Cold and hot water service, as well as wastewater disposal and electricity
• Hygienic equipment with at least one sink, one wc, and one shower
• Kitchen consisting of at least one drain, one cooking appliance, and one smoke extraction system
• Laundry cleaning equipment
• Electronic system for opening the building door
• Access system to telecommunications services

15- Protection elements of the dwelling

In the case of height differences greater than 0.55 m, these must be protected by protective elements or railings that can withstand impacts.

What is the price of the habitability certificate in Barcelona?

When carrying out this type of procedure, it is important to know the price of what it may cost us. To give you an idea, at the Barcelona City Council, the price of the first occupancy habitability certificate is €42.60 if only one dwelling is registered, €26.25 /unit for registering 2 to 5 dwellings, and €19.65 for registering more than 5 dwellings. In the case of the second occupancy habitability certificate, the price would be €19.65.

At this point, it is important to mention that if the application for the certificate is made online, a 30% discount can be obtained.

Are there additional costs associated with this requirement? Apart from the fee that must be paid to the public administration, which we have already mentioned, you will need to hire the services of an architect responsible for issuing the certificate. This can cost around €110 + VAT. Therefore, between both costs, it can amount to about 150-200 euros.

What steps should be followed to apply for it in Barcelona?

Although you know the requirements for the habitability certificate, it is not enough to consider that you meet them. What needs to be done is to hire the services of an architect or technical architect and request a Habitability Certificate endorsed by their professional College. This professional is responsible for reviewing the dwelling and ensuring that it complies with current regulations.

From there, the next step is to submit the architect’s certificate to the administration along with the rest of the required documentation.

We help you with the processing of the habitability certificate! (And if you trust us with the sale of your house, we give it to you for free)

If you need to carry out this procedure, we help you so you don’t have to worry about anything. But that’s not all, because if you trust us with the sale of your property, we give it to you for free.

Do you have any questions? Ask us.