Portugal — Property: Legal Checks and Due Diligence
Essential due diligence documents for a Portuguese property purchase: the Caderneta Predial Urbana (tax authority's property tax record — confirms owner, boundaries, classification, and the VPT used for IMI calculations), the Certidão de Registo Predial (Land Registry certificate — the ultimate ownership validation, identifying liens, mortgages, or litigation attached to the property), the Licença de Utilização (habitation license from the local Câmara Municipal, confirming construction conforms to zoning; properties built before August 7, 1951 are exempt with a municipal exemption certificate instead), and the Ficha Técnica da Habitação (mandatory technical specification file for buildings constructed/modified after March 30, 2004). Legal counsel must also confirm whether the municipality or IHRU holds a right of first refusal (Direito de Preferência) over the property, which must be posted via the 'Casa Pronta' digital platform before sale.
The Caderneta Predial Urbana confirms the registered owner, boundaries, and the VPT used for IMI calculations.
The Certidão de Registo Predial (Land Registry) is the ultimate ownership validation, revealing liens, mortgages, or litigation.
The Licença de Utilização confirms construction conforms to municipal zoning; pre-1951 properties are exempt with a municipal certificate instead.
The Ficha Técnica da Habitação is mandatory for buildings constructed or modified after March 30, 2004.
Legal counsel must verify whether the municipality or IHRU holds a right of first refusal (Direito de Preferência), posted via the 'Casa Pronta' platform before sale.
Under Civil Code Article 442, a defaulting buyer forfeits their CPCV deposit (typically 10-20%); a defaulting seller must return double the deposit.