Registering residency on a ruin
 

Hi

I am currently in the country looking for a ruin in the North that I can rehabilitate to eventually live in.
For the moment I am staying at an Airbnb where there is no possibility to register a permanent address.

Question is: can I register my residency on the ruin that I would buy or does it have to be "habitable" (and who is checking + what are the conditions of an abode being considered habitable and eligible to put a residency on?)

Re: Registering residency on a ruin
 

Surely there's nothing to stop you squatting your own ruin? :lol: I'd have thought the issue might be more that the ruin doesn't actually have a postal address, but I'm sure those already in the country will have better info!

Re: Registering residency on a ruin
 

There is no register of legal addresses in Portugal; so you can probably register at your ruin. It will depend on the local freguisia / camara.
If your ruin is registered as a ruin, it will not be legal to live there until it is renovated and granted a habitation licence.
That requires full planning permission, an architect, registered builder, plumber, electrician, inspections, etc.
In practice, it's unlikely anyone will bother you if you live on your own land in a hut, tent, yurt, caravan, or ruin.
But if your ask whether it's legal; it's not.

It will be difficult to get water + power connected without a habitation. Not impossible though, I know a guy who has done it.

If your ruin is registered as a habitation, then you can legally live there even if it's just s pile of rubble.

Ask neighbors and the local post office about mail; most places have street delivery but it's tricky sometimes when the street / road isn't named.
Then you need a numbered postbox registered with the post office and that can take time.
You'll need a functioning post address. Sometimes you can get a box at the PO.

I do not advise buying a ruin. It's almost always the same cost or cheaper to buy a habitable house, and you don't have years of hassle with permits.

Re: Registering residency on a ruin
 

maybe some help here.....i have built a house in portugal, and despite being finished and I live in it when I am there, it does not yet have a habitation license, and therefore still considered a plot of land (no ruin)
When considering my residency I asked the Freguisia what could I do.....they said that as long as I had water bills/electricity bills that would be sufficient.

Re: Registering residency on a ruin
 

I would suggest it was fairly likely you would get away with putting any functional address that is not a PO Box (as they seem to draw the line at those). So, your lawyer, a mailing service, a friend; more or less anywhere where, by agreement, they would not return a letter addressed to you.

Re: Registering residency on a ruin
 

Just my two cents from what I have experienced. When you apply for permanent Residency you need to be able show that the property you live on has an habitation license. You are required to take this document with you as well as an electricity bill. They usually just ask for an electricity bill as a property without an habitation license cannot eb legally connected to the electricity grid.

Re: Registering residency on a ruin
 

You can buy a "ruin" - walls and roof - which is classed as habitation on the paperwork and has previously had water and electric so easy to get them connected/reconnected and thus billed to you at the property. Last one I had was about 10k Euro.

Re: Registering residency on a ruin
 

An address is an address : have you tried registering from the BandB address ?

If no go then take out a 3 month or six month rental somewhere cheapo. You will need such a base anywhere to go looking for ruins without time pressure on purchase.

There are places where you can get monthly rentals for under €500. Try to get one which includes bills to avoid the faff of setting all that up in your name.