Section 2 · The 4 mandatory documents

What Each Document
Can Hide

4
documents, each concealing a different category of risk
1
IRN · Land Registry
Certidão Permanente
Land Registry Certificate
What it can hide
Active mortgage - an undischarged hipoteca the seller hasn't cleared before listing
Seizure orders - a penhora from unpaid tax that can freeze the sale entirely
Contested ownership - an acção judicial where a third party is legally challenging the title
Area discrepancy - registered m² differs from the Caderneta Predial, signalling unrecorded changes
Exposure: €2k - €15k+ legal fees
Can halt the sale entirely
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2
AT · Tax Authority
Caderneta Predial Urbana
Property Tax Record
What it can hide
VPT gap - when the fiscal value is far below the purchase price, the AT can reassess upward post-sale, permanently increasing IMI
IMT exposure - transfer tax is calculated on whichever is higher: purchase price or VPT. A gap means you owe more than you budgeted
Undeclared area - registered m² smaller than physical reality, often because extensions were added without updating the tax record
IMI arrears - unpaid annual property tax which becomes your liability at completion
Exposure: €300 - €2k+ per year (IMI)
Permanent annual cost increase
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3
Câmara Municipal
Licença de Utilização
Occupation License
What it can hide - critical under Simplex 2024
Unlicensed extensions - lateral or vertical additions to the original footprint not recorded in the municipal archive
Enclosed terraces - open balconies glassed or walled in after the original licence was issued, extremely common in Lisbon
Loft and garage conversions - habitable rooms created in non-licensed spaces, often marketed as "bonus rooms"
Active demolition order - a municipal enforcement action requiring removal of an unlicensed structure at the owner's expense
Exposure: €5k - €250k legalisation
Or demolition if refused
PropCheck Auto
4
ADENE · Energy Agency
Certificado Energético
Energy Performance Certificate
What it can hide - EPBD Directive 2024/1275
Class F or G rating - a mandatory renovation liability already in force: Class G faces rental restrictions from January 2026
EPBD retrofit obligation - all properties must reach minimum Class D by 2033. Classes E, F, G require significant investment
Resale restrictions - Class F and G properties face sale restrictions from 2030, affecting your future exit options
Brown discount - energy-inefficient properties already trade at a discount and the gap is widening as the 2030 deadline approaches
Exposure: €15k - €80k+ retrofit CAPEX
2033 hard deadline
PropCheck Auto
The pattern across all four
None of these problems are visible to the naked eye during a property visit - they only exist in the documents
Each document comes from a different authority and they don't automatically cross-reference each other
Under Simplex 2024, all issues in the Licença de Utilização transfer to you at the Escritura Pública - no recourse
All four must be verified before signing the CPCV - walking away after costs you your 10% deposit
Total financial exposure range
€22k
→ €347k+