Habitation certificate in the Valencia region: do you need one to sell?
If you’ve read about selling in Spain, you’ve probably come across the «cédula de habitabilidad», or habitation certificate. In the Valencia region it no longer exists under that name. What you need instead is a second occupation licence, and if more than ten years have passed since the last one, the law requires you to renew it when you sell. Here’s when it applies, how it works in Altea and Albir, and what happens with older homes.
- In the Valencia region the old cédula de habitabilidad has been replaced by the occupation licence (licencia de ocupación), usually filed today as a declaración responsable, a sworn statement backed by a technician.
- Once ten years have passed since the first occupation licence, regional law requires a renewal when the home is sold, or when a new water, electricity or gas contract is needed.
- The renewal is effective from the day it’s filed and is valid for ten years.
- Homes that never had a licence can still get one, but only if there are no open planning issues.
The cédula is gone: what replaced it
Lots of people, Spanish and foreign, still say «cédula». In the Valencia region, though, the document that proves a home is fit to live in is the occupation licence, set out in the regional building quality law. There are two kinds:
- First occupation (primera ocupación): requested by the developer when a new home is finished.
- Second or subsequent occupation (segunda ocupación): the renewal an owner files for an existing home. This is the one that matters when you sell.
Since February 2021, a regional decree has allowed both to be filed as a declaración responsable. Instead of waiting for the town hall to grant a licence, you file a technician’s certificate and the declaration takes effect that same day. The town hall checks afterwards.
Since 1 June 2025, the building law itself makes it clear that «occupation licence» means whichever document applies in each case, declaration or licence. Both routes carry the same weight.
Cédula, second occupation licence, declaración responsable de segunda ocupación: when you’re selling, they all refer to the same thing.
Is it a legal requirement to sell?
Often, yes. Valencian law says that once ten years have passed since the first occupation licence, it has to be renewed in two situations:
- on the second or any later sale (transfer) of the home;
- when a new contract for water, gas or electricity has to be signed.
If the home never had an occupation licence, the law says one is always needed in those same two situations.
So it isn’t just a form for connecting the electricity: the rule ties the renewal to the sale itself. If your home was finished more than ten years ago, plan on the second occupation licence from the start, just as you’d plan on the nota simple or the energy certificate.
The technician’s certificate is only valid for three months from the date it’s signed, so don’t order it too early. But don’t leave it for the week of completion either: if the technician finds something that doesn’t match what was originally built, you’ll need time to sort it out.
When you need it and when you don’t
| Your situation | Second occupation needed? |
|---|---|
| First licence less than ten years old, no works that alter the home | No |
| More than ten years since the first licence and you’re selling | Yes, it must be renewed |
| The home never had an occupation licence or cédula | Yes, as an existing building |
| A new water, electricity or gas contract is needed (over ten years) | Yes |
| You’re only switching supplier | No, it doesn’t count as a new contract |
| How long does a second occupation declaration last? | Ten years |
Be careful with building work: if you’ve extended the house or made changes to its structure or layout, the decree treats it differently and the technician will need to assess it. It’s no longer a simple renewal.
Why utility companies ask for it
Valencian law requires electricity, water, gas and telecoms companies to ask for the occupation licence before signing a contract with the end user. That’s why many people link the cédula with «getting the electricity connected».
Switching to another supplier isn’t treated as a new contract, so it doesn’t force a renewal. But if the supply has been cut off and needs a new contract, for a home over ten years old you’ll be asked for it. And as a buyer, you’ll want the utilities in your name without surprises.
How to get it in Altea and in Albir
The key step is the same in both towns: a qualified technician (usually an architect or building surveyor, arquitecto or arquitecto técnico) inspects the home and signs a certificate stating that it still meets the conditions of its previous licence. The certificate follows the regional decree’s template and doesn’t need endorsement from a professional college. You, or the technician, then file it with the town hall.
In Altea
Altea Town Hall has a procedure on its e-office called «Declaración Responsable de Segunda o posterior Ocupación». It asks for:
- the technician’s occupation certificate, valid for three months from signature;
- the previous licence or cédula, or details that help locate it;
- if there isn’t one: proof of utilities (at least water and electricity), proof of ownership, how waste water is handled (mains sewer, a treatment plant with a discharge permit, or a sealed tank) and photographs of the home and its surroundings;
- if the building is over 50 years old, the building assessment report (Informe de Evaluación del Edificio).
According to the town hall’s own procedure page, the declaration counts as made on the day it’s filed with all the documents, allows you to occupy the home from that moment and is valid for ten years.
In Albir and Alfaz del Pi
Albir is part of the municipality of l’Alfàs del Pi (Alfaz del Pi), so the application goes to l’Alfàs Town Hall. Its online portal calls it «Comunicación/Declaración responsable 2ª ocupación». You can file it online or in person. The procedure page says it’s decided by the delegated councillor, with a 90-day deadline and negative silence (no answer means it’s treated as refused).
What it costs
There are two costs: the technician’s fee, which each professional sets, and the municipal fee set in each town hall’s tax bylaw. Ask the town hall for the current fee before filing, as I haven’t found an up-to-date official figure I can give you here.
What about older homes and country houses?
This is where most questions come up, because there isn’t always a previous licence to renew.
Homes that never had a licence. If there’s no previous licence or cédula, the declaration is filed for an «existing building». The technician has to certify that the house meets the conditions for residential use, and you’ll need the extra documents listed above: utilities, ownership, waste water and photographs.
Altea explains it clearly on its procedure page: for homes that never had a licence and were finished before 20 August 2014, the declaration checks that the house complies with the rules. But it only works if:
- any planning breaches have become time-barred;
- there are no open proceedings to restore planning legality;
- the house meets the safety requirements that apply to it;
- residential use isn’t prohibited in that area.
Homes on rural land (suelo no urbanizable). This is the most delicate case. If the house, or an extension, was built without a licence, the town hall won’t accept the declaration while planning legality proceedings are open. On protected land the rules are stricter still. Before putting it on the market, find out whether the house has its original licence and whether everything built matches it.
It’s very common not to find the old licence among the family papers. The town hall can help locate it if you give details of the file. If you’re selling an inheritance, see also selling an inherited property in Spain.
And if you live in the UK, Scandinavia or elsewhere, none of this requires you to fly over: the declaration can be filed online with an electronic signature or through a representative. There’s more on that in selling your property in Spain from abroad.
At maXcasa we handle the sale paperwork: NIE, notary and taxes. Tell me about your home and we’ll see which documents you’re missing.
Frequently asked questions
Is the cédula de habitabilidad the same as the second occupation licence? +
In the Valencia region, for practical purposes, yes. The old cédula has been replaced by the occupation licence or declaration, and the one renewed when you sell is the second occupation one.
How long is a second occupation declaration valid for? +
Ten years. The technician’s certificate that goes with it, however, is only valid for three months from signature.
My home is eight years old. Do I need to renew it to sell? +
No, as long as ten years haven’t passed since the first occupation licence and you haven’t carried out works that alter the home or change its use.
Who pays for it, the seller or the buyer? +
The law puts the renewal on the owner, who is the one who files it. So unless you agree otherwise, the seller pays the technician and the municipal fee.
Can I sell a country house with no occupation licence? +
You can try to obtain one as an existing building, but only if there are no outstanding planning breaches or open proceedings. Before setting a price, check the home’s planning status and get it valued with that in mind.
Founder of maXcasa International. Thirty years buying and selling homes on the Costa Blanca North, with clients from all over Europe.
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