Questions and guides

Questions about the asbestos certificate

Clear answers, in English, to the most common questions about the asbestos presence or absence certificate, with the law and official sources cited.

• Renting

  Who pays for the asbestos certificate when renting?

  The certificate must be provided by the landlord (art. 21.2 of Law 8/2026).

• Price

  How much does the asbestos certificate cost and what does the price depend on?

  No official fee: Law 8/2026 does not regulate the price.

• Fibre cement

  I have fibre cement on my terrace: what should I do and what happens if I sell?

  “Uralita” is the name commonly used in Spain for fibre cement; before 2002 it usually contained asbestos.

• Catastro

  How do I find out what year my building was built? Step by step with the Catastro

  Checking non-protected Catastro data is free and open to anyone.

• Comparison

  Asbestos certificate vs energy performance certificate: the differences

  Energy: Royal Decree 390/2021, throughout Spain. Asbestos: Catalan Law 8/2026, in Catalonia.

• If asbestos is found

  What happens if the certificate finds asbestos?

  You can sell and rent: the certificate informs, it does not block.

• Estate agents

  Guide for estate agents: managing the asbestos certificate

  Mandatory for sales and rentals (art. 21.2); the Catalan Waste Agency requires it for properties built before 2002.

• Property managers

  Guide for property managers: the asbestos certificate

  Report asbestos to the owners and to the Catalan asbestos census (art. 12.1.a).

• Identifying asbestos

  How do I know if my home has asbestos?

  Built before 2002: it may contain asbestos. Its sale has been banned in Spain since 2002.

• Asbestos census

  Municipal asbestos census: what it is and what it means for you

  Town councils had to draw up the census and its removal timetable within one year from 10 April 2022 (14th additional provision of Act 7/2022).

• The certificate

  What the asbestos presence or absence certificate is

  It states, at a minimum, whether there is visible asbestos, its condition and the risk to people (art. 21.3).

• Fibre cement removal

  Removing asbestos fibre cement: who can do it and how

  Only authorised firms or professionals may remove it (art. 31.1 of Law 8/2026), registered in the RERA (art. 17 of Royal Decree 396/2006).

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