Ninmurai

Hi folks, I have identified a renovated flat that I like and would possibly live in temporarily and soon after turn into a rental apartment.

I am doing whatever due diligence checks I can before I make an offer and saw in the "caderneta predial" that it is still registered as a "escritório e sanitários" (office with bathroom). The renovation works have already been completed, so does this require some extra licence to be able to use as a property to live in?

I read on some forums I could ask for a change of primary use, but wondered if changing it to "habitação" would be more difficult than office which potentially needs an extra licence which it may or may not have.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

peterfc

Go to your local Camara and ask for the Building inspector.

Peter

fergus

We renovated our place which had been a house for 50 years or more and still had to get a habitation licence when we had completed the work. It took a very long time and in the meantime we just lived in it, on the basis that it already had a licence and therefore, by modernising the internals, there was no good reason for the habitation licence to have even expired. That seemed to be common sense, but that is not necessarily how the camara sees it. We now have the licence and all is well, but do not assume that it is a formality, because it is not. And with a change of use from commercial to residence, I would expect there to be many hoops you will need to jump through. Be very careful and go and see the Camara yourself.

007Steve

That's good advice from Peter, Ninmurai.
When I was looking to buy I was shown a fantastic conversion, inside budget, the works.
Trouble was when got half-way along I discovered that the BI had already told the seller a number of times he would oppose a change of status.
Save yourself some aggro with a quick visit.

Ninmurai

sound advice folks - looks like I will be having a busy couple of hours practising broken 'Portunhol' with the local Building Inspector then. Thank you!