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Simplex 2024 Portugal: What Every Property Buyer Must Know About Unpermitted Works

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Simplex 2024 · buyer liability transfer

The moment of no return: the Escritura Pública

Under Decreto-Lei 10/2024, the buyer’s liability for obras sem licença transfers at the exact moment they sign the notarised deed. That means your protection must happen before the CPCV and before the Escritura.

Before the CPCV
Verify what is licensed: the Licença de Utilização, the Caderneta Predial, and floor plan evidence.
At the Escritura
Unpermitted works become your legal responsibility immediately—regardless of when they were built.
After signing
You may need legalisation (often €5,000–€250,000+), demolition, or acceptance of enforcement risk.

HomeOS’s strategy is the same: find document divergences before you sign, so you can renegotiate before the law removes your leverage.

A simple rule: if it is unpermitted, it becomes your liability at signing.

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Before vs After Simplex 2024

DL 10/2024Simplex Urbanístico • In force

DL 10/2024 removed all ambiguity around who is responsible for unpermitted construction works in Portugal. The change is total — and permanent.

Before DL 10/2024
Ambiguous liability
Courts decided. Outcomes varied.
Liability
Responsibility for obras sem licença could be negotiated between buyer and seller after the fact.
Negotiable
Courts
Judges sometimes split liability between buyer and seller. Rulings were inconsistent.
Outcome uncertain
Seller exposure
Sellers could be pursued post-sale for undisclosed unlicensed construction works.
Seller could be liable
Due diligence
Document verification was best practice - recommended, but the consequences of skipping it were limited.
Best practice
Post-sale recourse
Buyers who discovered problems after signing had legal avenues to pursue the seller and recover costs.
Routes existed
After DL 10/2024 · Now
Full buyer liability
No ambiguity. No route back.
Liability
The buyer assumes full legal and financial responsibility for every unpermitted work at the moment of signing the Escritura Pública.
Buyer owns it - completely
Courts
No judicial discretion. The law is unambiguous: buyer liability transfers at escritura, regardless of what the seller disclosed.
No ambiguity - full stop
Seller exposure
Sellers face no ongoing liability for unpermitted works once the escritura is signed. All liability transfers to the new owner.
Seller is released at signing
Due diligence
Verifying the Licença de Utilização against the physical property is now the only legal protection a buyer has before signing.
Essential protection
Post-sale recourse
No route back. Regardless of when works were built or how many previous owners there were - it is now your problem.
No recourse whatsoever
The moment of no return
The Escritura Pública — the moment liability transfers
From the second you sign the notarised deed, every unpermitted work on the property is legally yours — regardless of when it was built, who built it, or whether you knew about it.
Obtain the Licença de Utilização
The licensed floor plan from the Câmara Municipal is now the legal benchmark. Everything outside it is your liability after signing.
Mandatory step
Compare licensed vs physical
Does the licensed description match what actually exists? Any extension, conversion, or addition not on the plan is an unpermitted work.
HomeOS Reality Gap Score
Verify before the CPCV
Once you sign the promissory contract, your leverage evaporates. All verification must happen before the CPCV — not after, not during.
Before signing only

HomeOS's Reality Gap Score cross-references the Licença de Utilização against all other registered documents — flagging every discrepancy that could represent an unpermitted work and your exposure under Simplex 2024.

HomeOS flags your Simplex 2024 exposure before you sign
Reality Gap Score · Licença de Utilização cross-check · No property visit required
Run free HomeOS →
Decreto-Lei 10/2024 — before vs after Simplex 2024.

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Simplex 2024 · DL 10/2024

What Counts as an Unpermitted Work

8

common types that transfer to you at signing

Enclosed Balcony
Open terrace glassed or walled in after original licence. Very common in Lisbon apartments.
€5k – €20kOften OK
Loft Conversion
Roof space converted to habitable rooms. Rarely appears in original licensed floor plan.
€15k – €50kComplex
Garage Converted
Garage turned into bedroom or living space — often marketed as a "bonus room."
€10k – €40kOften OK
Pool Addition
Pools added post-construction require a separate Licença de Construção, rarely obtained.
€10k – €30kUsually OK
Extension or Extra Floor
Lateral or vertical additions to the licensed footprint. Highest cost and most complex.
€30k – €250kMay demolish
Outbuilding
Separate garden studio, storage building or guest annexe not included in original licence.
€5k – €30kOften OK
Covered Terrace
Roofed or pergola-covered outdoor areas added after original licence. Common in villas.
€5k – €20kOften OK
Mezzanine Level
Intermediate floor inserted into double-height spaces. Popular in converted industrial buildings.
€8k – €25kComplex
Legalisation cost by type
Minor works
€5k–€20k
Garage / pool
€10k–€40k
Loft / mezzanine
€8k–€50k
Extension / floor
€30k–€250k
When legalisation is refused

If the Câmara Municipal determines a structure violates zoning rules or setback requirements, it can issue a demolition order.

  • Cost of demolition falls entirely to the new owner
  • No timeframe is given for when this risk may be enforced
  • Under Simplex 2024, there is no route back to the previous owner
  • Extensions and additional floors carry the highest demolition risk
HomeOS's Reality Gap Score identifies unpermitted work risk from documents alone
No property visit required · Licença de Utilização cross-check · Results in minutes
Run free HomeOS →
Common unpermitted works that transfer to you at signing under Simplex 2024.

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Complete before signing any contract

The 4 Mandatory Documents Every Portuguese Property Buyer Must Check

1Certidão Permanente2Caderneta Predial3Licença de Utilização4Certificado Energético
IRN · Instituto dos Registos e Notariado01
Certidão Permanente
Land Registry Certificate
€15-20predialonline.pt · Valid 6 months
What it reveals
  • Legal owner - must match seller's ID
  • All encumbrances - mortgages, liens
  • Court orders & seizure notices
  • Full transaction & ownership history
Catches
Hidden mortgagesPenhora ordersContested ownership
HomeOS reads & flags encumbrances automatically via OCR
AT · Autoridade Tributária e Aduaneira02
Caderneta Predial Urbana
Property Tax Record
FreePortal das Finanças · Current tax year
What it reveals
  • VPT - fiscal assessed value for IMI
  • IMI arrears - unpaid property tax
  • Registered area & room count
  • Permitted use - residential vs commercial
Catches
VPT reassessment riskIMT calculation errorsUndeclared area
HomeOS cross-references VPT against purchase price & flags IMT exposure
Câmara Municipal · Local Council03
Licença de Utilização
Occupation License
Free to requestMunicipal archive · Exempt if pre-1951
What it reveals
  • Approved use at time of inspection
  • Licensed floor plan & area
  • What the Câmara officially approved
  • Any active enforcement actions
Catches - Simplex 2024 critical
Unlicensed extensionsGarage conversionsLoft works
HomeOS flags Simplex 2024 liability - licensed area vs physical reality
ADENE · Agência para a Energia04
Certificado Energético
Energy Performance Certificate
€100–300ADENE · Licensed assessor · Mandatory
What it reveals
  • Energy rating A+ to F
  • EPBD mandatory retrofit obligations
  • Estimated renovation CAPEX required
  • Rental & resale restrictions by class
Catches - EPBD 2026–2033
Class F/G = €15k-€80k retrofitRental restrictions
HomeOS AIRCS models retrofit CAPEX based on energy class & property size

All four documents must be verified before signing the CPCV — Contrato Promessa Compra e Venda. Once signed, it is legally binding. Walking away means forfeiting your deposit — typically 10% of the purchase price.

HomeOS verifies all four documents automatically
No Portuguese required · No property visit · Results in under 10 minutes
Run free HomeOS →
The four mandatory documents every Portuguese property buyer must verify before signing the CPCV.

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Simplex 2024 Liability Checker

Answer 5 questions about your property to estimate your Simplex 2024 (DL 10/2024) liability exposure.

Question 1 of 5
When was the property originally built?

The construction decade affects licensing requirements and common modification patterns.

HomeOS reports and tools are for information only and do not constitute legal, tax, or surveying advice. For binding advice, consult a qualified professional. Under Simplex 2024 (DL 10/2024), buyers inherit full liability for unpermitted works at the Escritura Pública.

Quick property check — launching soon.

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guides.simplex2024.sections.legalisationCosts.table.rows.minor.labelguides.simplex2024.sections.legalisationCosts.table.rows.minor.works€5,000–€15,0006–18 months
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guides.simplex2024.sections.legalisationCosts.table.rows.major.labelguides.simplex2024.sections.legalisationCosts.table.rows.major.works€80,000–€250,000+2–5 years
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Section 6 - HomeOS Core Output

The Reality Gap Score

Measures the divergence between a property's registered legal state and its likely physical condition — based on automated cross-analysis of official documents.

Reality Gap Score — 0 to 10 Scale
012345678910
0 – 3
Low Divergence
Documents align with expected property state.
→ Proceed with standard legal process
4 – 6
Warrants Attention
Discrepancies detected across documents.
→ Cross-check before signing CPCV
7 – 10
Significant Divergence
Meaningful gap between registered and physical state.
→ Do not sign CPCV without physical inspection
Decision Flowchart — What to Do With Your Score
1
Run HomeOS
Upload the 4 mandatory documents
→
2
Get Reality Gap Score
0–10 result in minutes
→
3
Act on your score
Two paths below
Score 0 – 6
Proceed to lawyer & CPCV
Share HomeOS report with your lawyer. Arrive with specific questions — not a blank brief.
OR
Score 7 – 10
Book physical inspection first
A certified inspector visits the property to confirm what HomeOS found in the documents.
Run HomeOS before you sign.
Certidão Permanente · Caderneta Predial · Licença de Utilização · Certificado Energético — all four checked in minutes.
Run free HomeOS →
HomeOS Reality Gap Score — 0 to 10 scale and what to do with your result.
66/100

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Moderate Risk

guides.simplex2024.sections.realityGapScore.scoreCard.legal72/100
guides.simplex2024.sections.realityGapScore.scoreCard.energy45/100
guides.simplex2024.sections.realityGapScore.scoreCard.physical61/100
guides.simplex2024.sections.realityGapScore.scoreCard.fiscal88/100

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