Ficha Técnica da Habitação: The Property Technical File Explained

The Ficha Técnica da Habitação (FTH) is a standardised technical description of a home: how it was built, with which materials and equipment, and by whom. It was introduced in 2004 to protect consumers buying newer homes. Since January 2024 it no longer has to be shown at the deed, but for homes built after 2004 it remains one of the most useful documents a buyer can ask for.

There is no direct equivalent in the UK or the US. The closest are the building regulations certificates and new-home warranty documents in the UK, or as-built plans and permit records in the US. The FTH brings this information together in one document.

Which homes have an FTH?

The FTH applies to homes built, rebuilt or extended after 30 March 2004, when Decree-Law 68/2004 came into force. Older homes, and homes whose licence was already granted or applied for before that date, do not have one.

What changed in 2024

With the urban planning reform (Simplex Urbanístico, Decree-Law 10/2024), the obligation to show the FTH and the habitation licence at the deed was removed from January 2024. Banks are also no longer legally required to ask for it, although each bank can still do so. For buyers, this shifts the responsibility: nobody checks it for you anymore, so you need to ask for it yourself, ideally before signing the promissory contract (CPCV).

What the FTH contains

• Identification: the property, the developer or owner, and the architect, builder and technical director responsible.
• Licences: the construction licence and the habitation licence.
• Construction: foundations, structure, walls, roof, floors and the materials used, including thermal and acoustic insulation.
• Installations: water, drainage, electricity, gas, telecommunications, heating, cooling and ventilation.
• Finishes and equipment: windows, doors, floors, kitchen and bathroom fittings, and installed appliances.
• Plans: floor plans of the home as built.

How buyers should use it

1. Ask for it early, before you make an offer or at the latest before the CPCV.
2. Compare it with reality: do the layout, materials and equipment match what you saw? Are there extensions or changes not covered by it?
3. Cross-check the documents: the FTH, the habitation licence, the land registry certificate, the tax record and the energy certificate should tell the same story.
4. Use it for warranty claims: in a newer home, the FTH identifies who built what. For construction defects in homes, Portuguese law provides a warranty of up to ten years for structural defects, and the FTH helps you identify the responsible parties.
5. Get expert help: for anything unclear, have an engineer or architect review it as part of a house inspection.

How to get a copy

The seller or developer should hand it over; for new builds the developer must provide it. If it is missing, a copy is usually kept in the building file at the municipality (Câmara Municipal), where you or your lawyer can request it.

For sellers

Even though it is no longer required at the deed, having the FTH ready makes a home easier to sell: it answers buyers’ and banks’ questions and shows that the property was built and changed legally.

How we can help

As your buyer’s agent, we request and review the FTH and the other documents with your lawyer before you commit. Book a free consultation.