Property
Portugal — Property: Legal Checks and Due Diligence
Essential due diligence documents for a Portuguese property purchase: the Caderneta Predial Urbana (tax authority's property tax record — confirms owner, boundaries, classification, and the VPT used for IMI calculations), the Certidão de Registo Predial (Land Registry certificate — the ultimate ownership validation, identifying liens, mortgages, or litigation attached to the property), the Licença de Utilização (habitation license from the local Câmara Municipal, confirming construction conforms to zoning; properties built before August 7, 1951 are exempt with a municipal exemption certificate instead), and the Ficha Técnica da Habitação (mandatory technical specification file for buildings constructed/modified after March 30, 2004). Legal counsel must also confirm whether the municipality or IHRU holds a right of first refusal (Direito de Preferência) over the property, which must be posted via the 'Casa Pronta' digital platform before sale.
Key facts
- The Caderneta Predial Urbana confirms the registered owner, boundaries, and the VPT used for IMI calculations.
- The Certidão de Registo Predial (Land Registry) is the ultimate ownership validation, revealing liens, mortgages, or litigation.
- The Licença de Utilização confirms construction conforms to municipal zoning; pre-1951 properties are exempt with a municipal certificate instead.
- The Ficha Técnica da Habitação is mandatory for buildings constructed or modified after March 30, 2004.
- Legal counsel must verify whether the municipality or IHRU holds a right of first refusal (Direito de Preferência), posted via the 'Casa Pronta' platform before sale.
- Under Civil Code Article 442, a defaulting buyer forfeits their CPCV deposit (typically 10-20%); a defaulting seller must return double the deposit.
Required documents
- Caderneta Predial Urbana
- Certidão de Registo Predial
- Licença de Utilização
- Ficha Técnica da Habitação (post-2004 builds)