Housing Technical Data Sheet, in 2023

If you intend to buy a house, you must request the Housing Technical Data Sheet (FTH) from the owner or, for more recent properties, the Book of Works that replaced it. This document contains the description of the technical and functional characteristics of an urban building for residential purposes and aims to protect the rights and economic interests of the buyer, improve information about it and promote transparency in the real estate market.

Key Ideas

• The Housing Technical Data Sheet is a document describing the technical and functional characteristics of a housing building .
• The preparation of the Housing Technical Data Sheet (FTH) is the responsibility of the real estate developer who built the housing property.
• Without a Housing Technical File, it is not possible to carry out a purchase and sale deed .
• If you need credit to buy a house , the bank will not grant credit without ensuring that the FTH has been delivered to the buyer.

Buying a house implies making decisions with strong repercussions on the budget, in the medium and long term, directly for the buyer or his family. The Housing Technical Sheet aims to improve the available information , related to the sale price , the urban framework , the characteristics of the housing , including options related to energy efficiency and environmental management .

The FTH is issued after completion of construction, reconstruction, expansion or alteration works on a property , in accordance with the content of the duly approved final screens. This document must comply with a set of legal requirements (see decree law ) and contain a minimum set of information (see below) , eventually accompanied by additional information.

Which properties need the Housing Technical Data Sheet?

The Housing Technical Sheet is required for buildings that have been constructed after March 30, 2004 , or that have undergone reconstruction, expansion or alteration works after that date .

It is not mandatory to have a Housing Technical Data Sheet in the following cases:

1. Buildings built before the entry into force of the General Regulation for Urban Buildings, August 7, 1951 ;
2. Buildings built after the date referred to in the previous paragraph, provided that on March 30, 2004 they already had a Use License or the same had already been applied for.

Who is responsible for preparing the Housing Technical Data Sheet?

It is up to the real estate developer (and not the construction company, if they are different entities) to prepare the FTH of the property, and it is their responsibility, as well as that of the technician responsible for the work (whose signature must appear on the FTH), to ensure that the information contained in of the form, with the characteristics of the property at the date of completion of the works.The promoter must keep the FTH archived for a period of 10 years and deposit copies of the FTH, in digital and paper format, at the municipal council. This document must be replaced whenever there are updates to it.

When is the Housing Technical Sheet required?

The delivery of the original of the Housing Technical Sheet to the buyer must take place at the time of the deed of sale of the property . Failure to present the Housing Technical Data Sheet implies that the notary or solicitor will not sign the deed.

If you need to take out a mortgage loan, be aware that banks do not grant credit without this document having been handed over to you.

In addition, the seller, the real estate agency or another professional who is in charge of marketing, is obliged to make available, at the customer service and sales points to the public, a copy of the Housing Technical Data Sheet , so that interested parties can obtain all the information required by consulting the aforementioned documents. If the construction work has not yet been completed, there must be a provisional version of the Housing Technical Data Sheet.

What to do if you lose the Housing Technical Data Sheet?

In case the owner loses or destroys the Housing Technical Sheet, he must ask the real estate developer or the City Council to issue a duplicate of the FTH . The issuance of a duplicate by the municipal council is carried out against the payment of a fee, to be fixed by the municipal assembly.

If this is not possible, a new FTH will have to be prepared, using the services of a Civil Engineer or Architect .

What is the price of a Housing Technical Sheet?

The cost of drawing up a new Housing Technical Sheet depends on the professional's fees, but you can expect a value between €100 and €200 + VAT .

What are the consequences of any non-conformities in the Housing Technical Data Sheet?

The non-existence of the Housing Technical Data , the inclusion of information that does not correspond to the real characteristics of the housing , or other non-compliance provided for in the respective decree-law, constitutes an administrative offence , being the responsibility of IMPIC - Instituto dos Mercados Públicos, Imobiliário e da Construção, IP , the responsibility to file a lawsuit against the real estate promoter for damages caused to the buyer. If the potential buyer wants to formalize a complaint at IMPIC, he will have to identify the promoting entity, the location of the building and the fraction in question and be accompanied by a copy of the FTH.

Fines for incorrect data contained in the FTH, or for non-compliance with associated obligations, may result in penalties ranging from €2,490 to €3,490 , or from €12,470 to €44,890, depending on whether the offender is a natural person or a person. collective.

What information should be included in the Housing Technical Data Sheet?

The Technical Construction Sheet must be written in Portuguese, in line with the architecture and specialties projects and include the changes that occurred throughout the work, as they are recorded in the final screens. The respective legal model can be consulted here .

The Housing Technical Data Sheet must contain, among other elements, information on:

• The identification of the main professionals (promoters, technicians responsible for the work, architects, etc.) involved in the construction, reconstruction, expansion or alteration project, as well as in the acquisition of housing;
• The subdivision (number of buildings; number of dwellings; number of parking spaces; summary plan of the subdivision);
• Identification and location of the urban building ; registration number in the building matrix; number and date of the use license; building description; total number of fires; number of lifts; number of parking spaces; access conditions for people with disabilities; condominium meeting room; porter's house;
• Information on the main materials and construction products used in housing, namely the material used: on walls, protection against noise and thermal variations, roofing and floors, waterproofing, plumbing, window frames andblinds, etc., and the list of the respective manufacturers, containing their contacts and addresses;
• Description of security systems against intrusion, security against fire, energy management, environmental management, etc.
• Location of noisy equipment, such as lifts, generator sets and hydro-pressure groups;
• Simplified floor plan for the entrance to the building , indicating the orientation, and the location of the exterior doors, horizontal circulations, stairs and lifts;
• Characterization of foundations and structure;
• Identification of the autonomous fraction , with an indication of its location and the number and date of the use license;
• Description of the dwelling , namely: the gross area of the dwelling, the gross area of the dwelling, the total useful area, the useful area of each dependency of the dwelling;
• Characterization of installations in housing , namely: water distribution, domestic wastewater drainage, rainwater drainage, gas distribution, electricity distribution,air conditioning and heating, ventilation and evacuation of fumes and gases and telecommunications;
• Description of the equipment incorporated in the house, namely: kitchen and sanitary facilities and list of the respective manufacturers (contacts and addresses);
• Simplified plan of the fire access floor , highlighting the location of the fire and common spaces, and indicating the location of portable fire extinguishers and emergency exits in case of fire;
• Simplified housing plans , including fire plan with identification of all compartments;
• Simplified plans of existing networks in housing, namely: water distribution networks, domestic wastewater drainage, electricity distribution, gas distribution, air conditioning and heating, communications and entertainment;
• The sheet must also containinformation about:
  • Housing guarantee , as well as its activation method in case of detection of defects;
  • Condominium operating rules , if any, and service provision contracts that have been entered into;
  • Maintenance rules for installed equipment that require special treatment.

The end of the Housing Technical Data Sheet

Under Simplex+ 2016 and in accordance with Council of Ministers Resolution No. 76/2017 , the Housing Technical Data Sheet was extinguished and incorporated into the Work Book (regulated by Ordinance No. 1268/2008 ).

With the aim of simplifying the entire process, it is also planned that both the Book of Works and the Energy Certificate of the property will be consulted in the future Electronic Book of Works .