What is the LPO in tourist homes

The First Occupation License is a document issued by local or municipal authorities that certifies that a new home has been built in accordance with the relevant planning permits and regulations and that it meets the minimum habitability requirements to be inhabited by people. This license confirms that construction has been completed and that the home is ready to be occupied by its owners or tenants.

In the case of tourist homes, obtaining the First Occupation License is an important requirement to be able to legally operate as tourist accommodation. Without this license, the home may not meet the legal and safety standards necessary to accommodate guests.

The first document that the Tourism Inspectorate will want to see when inspecting a home for tourist purposes in Andalusia is the “First Occupation License” (LPO).

Basically, this license (LPO) is the permission granted by the City Council (hence a municipal license) once the construction works of a building have been completed, allowing the buyer to live in the property legally.

All newly built homes must have this license and without it basic electricity and water services cannot be requested. All properties built after 1992 must have this license (with some exceptions); If you do not have it yet, you can request it at City Hall. In some cases, the Community Manager may have a copy. It is important to know that if you live in a condominium regime there will be one LPO for the entire building and not one per home.

If the City Council does not have a record of it and neither does its Administrator, then you must request it. This can be done through a technical architect, who will come to your apartment, carry out the corresponding measurements and verify the operation of the facilities to then issue the relevant report.

This is normally a very simple procedure. There may only be complications due to City Hall bureaucracy; This process could take up to 6 months before you receive the final LPO.

The architect’s fees can vary from €500 to €1000. Therefore, it is important to look for the right person as you can save yourself a lot of money. To this amount must be added the rate that must be paid to the City Council, this tax varies depending on the municipality in which the property is located.

Keep in mind that if you have already hired a technical architect and started the procedures but have not yet received the LPO, the tourist license can be requested and approved by the Board since the resolution of the first one is not needed for this.