Certificate of Habitation – CH (Cédula de Habitabilidad o Licencia de Primera Ocupación)

This is a document whcih resumes the confirmation from the Town Hall that the property is ready for habitation, and it is applied once the property is finished with the Final Works License (Certificado Final de Obra), and inscribed in the land registry with the New Building Declaration-DON (Declaración de Obra Nueva).

You need this document to obtain the permission of the Town Hall to live live in the house. Before you  get it, what you have a is a construction, but not a “house”.
This document will be necessary to obtain the individual supply of the utilities on your name, and with “house” use.

This document id then extremely important to get the electric and water contracts on individuals name. Before the builder obtains the certificate of habitation, there could be water and electric supply in the construction, because, is normal that the builder obtains this supply to make the works (for the tolls, machinery, etc.). But the supply obtained from the builder is a supply for “works”, but not for “house”.

Sometimes, buyers or promoters are left in their properties with electric and water supply for works use for years, because the builder did not obtain the proper CH (Certificate of Habitation). They have water and electric, but in a very poor conditions, and expensive than the normal supply for a house.

In order to guaranty you, as buyer or promoter, that the builder will obtain the proper CH, it will be recommendable to leave a part of the payment of the price when the CH is obtained. It will force the builder to work right and to do his best to get this document asap.