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

What fibre cement is and why it matters

“Uralita” is the brand name commonly used in Spain for corrugated sheets, tanks and pipes made of fibre cement. For decades it was made with asbestos, until its sale was banned in Spain from 2002 (Order of 7 December 2001).

The health risk lies in inhaling the fibres, which are released mainly when the material is broken, cut, drilled or badly deteriorated.

What you should not do

• Cut, drill, sand or break it.
• Clean it with a pressure washer or wire brushes.
• Remove it yourself or hire someone who is not registered in the RERA.
• Throw it out with building rubble or in a skip.

Law 8/2026 prohibits individuals and companies from handling asbestos-containing materials except in the cases authorised by the regulations (art. 11.a).

If you want to remove it

Only companies registered in the RERA may do so (art. 17 of Royal Decree 396/2006). Before starting, the company must draw up a work plan (art. 11) and submit it to the labour authority for approval (art. 12). The waste must go to an authorised waste manager.

Ask the company for its RERA registration number before hiring it.

Catalan public administrations must offer grants and subsidies for removal (art. 26 of Law 8/2026). Check the current calls at your town council and the Catalan Waste Agency.

What happens if you sell or rent

You can sell or rent. If the property was built before 2002, you must provide the asbestos presence or absence certificate (art. 21.2), which will record the fibre cement, its condition and the risk it poses.

In a sale, the Land Registry records the presence certificate when registering it (seventh additional provision).

Once asbestos has been identified, the law requires the owner to keep the property free of these materials and maintain it, taking the necessary measures to remove them (art. 11.d). The law sets no specific date: removal deadlines will be set by the competent institutions (fourth additional provision).

What if the terrace is shared?

If the fibre cement is on a shared terrace or roof, the decision to remove it lies with the owners’ association (comunidad de propietarios). The certificate for your flat covers only your unit, not the building’s common areas.

In addition, every town council must draw up a census of installations with asbestos with a removal timetable (14th additional provision of Act 7/2022).

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