The terrace was enclosed
without planning permission.
You'd never know
from the listing.The terrace was enclosed without planning permission.
You'd never know from the listing.
Portugal's most common hidden property defect is administrative, not structural. Enclosed terraces, converted garages, extra floors. None of it appears in the listing. All of it is detectable from the registry discrepancy. PropCheck finds it.
Unapproved works are detectable by cross-referencing the floor area in the Caderneta Predial (AT tax register) against the licensed area in the Licença de Utilização (Câmara Municipal), then checking the Certidão Permanente for enforcement annotations. Where a gap exists, PropCheck calculates a Simplex risk score based on the discrepancy size, the property type, and the municipality's zoning, and estimates the regularisation cost range under DL 10/2024's transitional regime.
Unapproved works are the most widespread hidden issue in Portuguese residential property. In older urban apartment stock, enclosed terraces are nearly universal. In rural properties, pools, outbuildings, and boundary walls without consent are routine. In apartment blocks, works on individual units sometimes extend into common areas without the condominium's agreement.
Before DL 10/2024, buyers had more scope to argue that liability for undisclosed works remained with the seller. Under the current framework, that defence weakens substantially once the sale completes. PropCheck's Unapproved Works Detector is the fastest way to identify the gap before you make an offer.
The most common unapproved works in Portugal
- Enclosed terraces (varandas fechadas) — The most frequent issue in urban apartments. A terrace enclosed with glass or aluminium increases usable floor area but requires a licence amendment. Almost always in the Caderneta, rarely in the Licença.
- Converted garages — Ground-floor garages converted to habitable rooms. Changes the use class as well as the floor area, requiring a full Licença de Utilização amendment.
- Additional storeys or mezzanines — In older houses, loft conversions to habitable space added after the original licence was issued.
- Pools and outbuildings (rural properties) — Frequently added without planning consent. In RAN or REN zones, extremely difficult to legalise retroactively.
- Extensions beyond licensed footprint — A ground-floor extension that increases the building's footprint beyond the approved plans.
Sample output — moradia in Sintra
Frequently asked questions
The unlicensed terrace isn't in the listing. It is in the registry.
PropCheck detects the Caderneta–Licença discrepancy, estimates regularisation cost, and scores the DL 10/2024 risk — before you make an offer.