Is the property legally built?
In Portugal, a property can be sold without a valid licence. And the buyer inherits the legal problem.
DL 10/2024 transferred liability for unlicensed works from seller to buyer at the point of sale. homeOS checks the Licença de Utilização, Caderneta Predial, and the Câmara enforcement register — before you sign anything.
Legal Status Check
Enter a property address or Artigo Matricial to verify Licença de Utilização, Caderneta Predial, and enforcement notices.
Every property built after 1951 in Portugal requires a valid Licença de Utilização confirming it was built in conformity with the approved plans. DL 10/2024 (Simplex Urbanístico) changed the liability model: where unlicensed or non-conforming works exist at the time of sale and are not disclosed or resolved, the obligation to regularise — and the associated cost — transfers to the new owner. homeOS checks the Licença, cross-references it against the Caderneta Predial, and surfaces any Câmara enforcement notices before the CPCV is signed.
Most buyers in Portugal never ask to see the Licença de Utilização. Solicitors may check for its existence — but not always its content. The gap between what the licence permits and what was actually built is one of the most common sources of post-purchase legal problems in Portuguese residential property.
An enclosed terrace, a converted garage, an extra room added without a licence amendment — none of it shows up in the listing. All of it is detectable from the registry gap between the licensed and registered floor areas. Before DL 10/2024, the seller bore most of this risk. That has now shifted to the buyer.
What homeOS checks
homeOS queries the Câmara Municipal record to confirm whether a Licença de Utilização exists, when it was issued, what use class it permits (residential, commercial, mixed), and whether the licensed floor area matches the Caderneta Predial. A missing licence on a post-1951 building is an immediate red flag. A licence that covers only part of the registered floor area suggests unapproved extensions.
The Caderneta Predial (issued by AT) records the registered floor area, number of storeys, construction year, and use. homeOS compares this against the Licença. Where the Caderneta area exceeds the licensed area, the difference is likely unapproved works added to the tax register without obtaining a building licence amendment — the classic enclosed terrace scenario.
Where a Câmara Municipal has issued a non-conformity notice, an obras coercivas order, or an enforcement action against a property, homeOS surfaces it. An active enforcement notice on a property you purchase transfers with ownership — the obligation becomes yours on signing day.
Properties built before 1 August 1951 are exempt from the Licença de Utilização requirement for the original structure. The exemption does not apply to any works carried out after 1951. homeOS checks the declared construction year and flags where the pre-1951 exemption is claimed but the building's registered description suggests later works that require their own licence.
Sample output — apartment in Mouraria, Lisboa
Check the legal status before you sign anything
Licença, Caderneta, and enforcement notices. Free. Any property in Portugal.
Frequently asked questions
DL 10/2024 put the liability on the buyer. Check before you sign.
Licença de Utilização, Caderneta cross-reference, and enforcement notices. Free. Any property in Portugal.