Property Documents to Check Before Buying or Renting in Lisbon
Four records tell you who owns a Lisbon flat, what debts sit on it, whether it is legal to live in and how efficient it is. Most can be checked online in minutes.
Before buying or renting a home in Portugal, check four records: the land registry certificate (certidão permanente do registo predial), the tax record (caderneta predial), the urban-planning title such as the use licence (licença de utilização), and the energy certificate. The online registry certificate costs €15 and stays valid for 6 months, as of November 2026.
Each record comes from a different office, and they do not always match. Put any mismatch to the seller, the landlord or your lawyer before you sign anything.
Which documents should I ask for?
| Document | What it tells you | Who issues it |
|---|---|---|
| Certidão permanente (land registry) | Registered owner, description of the property, mortgages, liens and seizures | IRN land registry (Registo Predial) |
| Caderneta predial (tax record) | Tax article number, taxable value (VPT), areas, use, holder for tax purposes | Tax authority (AT, Finanças) |
| Urban-planning title (use licence or equivalent) | Whether the building or flat is authorized for housing | Câmara Municipal (city council) |
| Energy certificate | Energy class and recommended improvements | A qualified expert, registered with ADENE’s system (SCE) |
For a purchase you also want the condominium’s statement that the seller has no unpaid building fees, and for an older building, the condominium’s recent meeting minutes. Those come from the building administrator, not from a public office.
How do I check the land registry certificate?
Ask the seller for the access code of a valid certidão permanente, or order one yourself. It is an online certificate that stays permanently updated for its validity period. According to the Justice Ministry’s service page, it costs €15 online and €20 in person, and it is valid for 6 months.
- Go to predialonline.pt (Registo Predial Online) and choose “Certidão Permanente”.
- Identify the property with the registry details shown on an earlier certificate, the deed or the seller’s documents.
- Pay by Multibanco reference or card.
- Use the access code to read the certificate as often as you need while it is valid; reading it with a code is free.
Read the registrations (inscrições) carefully. The current owner appears in the latest acquisition (aquisição) entry; mortgages (hipotecas) and seizures (penhoras) appear as separate entries. A mortgage is normal when the seller still has a loan; the deed must show how it will be paid off and cancelled at signing.
What is the caderneta predial and who can get it?
The caderneta predial is the property’s record in the tax register (matriz). It shows the tax article number, the taxable value used for IMI and purchase taxes, the areas and the type of use. Owners download it free from the Portal das Finanças under their property list; the tax authority says certificates obtained through the portal are free, while paper copies at a tax office carry a fee.
Buyers and tenants cannot download someone else’s record, so ask the owner for a recent copy. It carries a validation code, and the Portal das Finanças lets anyone who receives the document check that it is genuine. The taxable value also drives your purchase taxes and future IMI property tax.
Does the flat need a use licence?
The rules changed twice recently. The 2024 urban-planning reform (Decree-Law 10/2024, the “Simplex urbanístico”) stopped requiring the use licence to be shown when the sale deed is signed. Decree-Law 108/2026, published on 29 May 2026, then grouped the licence and equivalent documents under the term “urban-planning title” (título urbanístico).
Since 1 October 2026, after a postponement by Decree-Law 155-B/2026, the deed must state whether the property has a title: that it was presented, that the seller declares having it, or that the seller declares not having it. Commentators read the new rules as making a deed that omits this statement open to annulment. Have your lawyer or notary confirm how it applies to your sale.
The licence still matters to you even when the deed does not require it. Banks are generally cautious about lending on unlicensed homes, and fixing an illegal extension can take months. You can ask the Câmara Municipal de Lisboa for information from the building’s urban-planning file; for buildings older than 1951, a certificate confirming the construction date is the usual substitute.
Is an energy certificate required?
Yes, for sales and rentals, with limited exceptions. ADENE’s certification system (SCE) says buildings need a certificate when they are sold or rented, and since December 2013 every sale or rental advert must show the energy class. Exempt cases include a sale to a co-owner or to the existing tenant.
A certificate for a home is valid for 10 years. The notary records its number in the deed, and you can confirm that a certificate exists and is valid through the public search on sce.pt.
What should a tenant check?
Tenants need less, but not nothing. Ask to see the landlord’s ID and compare the name with the caderneta predial or the certidão permanente, so you know you are dealing with the owner or someone authorized by them. Check that the advert shows an energy class.
A lease must be registered with Finanças by the landlord, and the deposit and rent are better paid by bank transfer to an account in the owner’s name. Our guide to renting an apartment in Lisbon covers contracts, deposits and common scams.
Bottom line
Pull a fresh certidão permanente just before signing the promissory contract and again before the deed, since a seizure or new charge can be registered in between. Since October 2026 the deed must also state whether an urban-planning title exists, so ask the seller for it early, while there is still time to request copies from the Câmara.
FAQ
How much does a certidão permanente cost?
€15 online and €20 in person, according to the Justice Ministry, as of November 2026. It is valid for 6 months and can be renewed in its last month.
Can I see who owns a flat in Lisbon?
Yes. The land registry is public, so anyone can order a certidão permanente for a property if they can identify it. The tax record is only available to the owner.
Can I buy a flat without a use licence?
The law does not ban it, but since 1 October 2026 the deed must state whether an urban-planning title exists. Lenders and future buyers may be wary, so get legal advice first.
Who pays for the energy certificate?
The owner orders it from a qualified expert, since the class must already appear in the sale or rental advert. Find registered experts through the search on sce.pt.
