Habitability requirements are one of the key things to consider when choosing a home. They are legally required for a property to qualify as residential, so understanding them is absolutely essential in the property sector.
Around half of the world’s population now lives in cities, which creates considerable environmental problems: pollution (air, noise and light), crowding and overpopulation. These problems, which stem from how difficult cities have become to live in, affect us all and, naturally, they also have an impact on housing.
The minimum conditions under which a home is legally considered habitable are strictly regulated. Another point to bear firmly in mind is that the requirements vary from one autonomous region (comunidad autónoma) to another, because habitability rules are set at regional level (normativa autonómica). If you need help with this, you can talk to our team of architects in Málaga.
How habitability is determined
Habitability is determined by a space’s capacity to meet human needs in relation to its surroundings, taking into account factors such as comfort, safety and functionality. The concept assesses how different territorial scales, from a single home to a whole region, adapt to guarantee optimum living conditions, bringing together the physical, social and environmental aspects that support human wellbeing and a sustainable relationship with the environment.
As architects in Málaga, we know how valuable our clients’ time is. That is why we handle the full management of every detached house project, including design, planning, management and supervision of the various stages of the works, and all the necessary administrative procedures.
The minimum habitability requirements under the regulations
Several types of habitability requirements are taken into account to establish that a home is habitable. They are completed on the forms for the corresponding certificate, whether the property is multi-family housing or a detached house. These are the main requirements:
Composition
Every home must consist, as a minimum, of a bathroom, a bedroom and one further room. A home made up of a bathroom and a single space for all other functions can be classed as a studio apartment.
Separate rooms
Rooms must be separate, self-contained spaces, independent of one another. A bedroom or bathroom must not be the only way through to another room. A bedroom may only be the compulsory route to the bathroom in single-room homes. This requirement is the same in every autonomous region.
Floor areas
This requirement varies between autonomous regions. The minimum usable floor area of a home must be between 30 and 36 square metres (depending on the region concerned). In many cases there is an exception: the studio apartment, which (in the Valencian Community, for example) may be as small as 24 square metres. The shared spaces (living room, kitchen) must add up to a total of between 17 and 20 square metres, another requirement that varies from region to region.
Façade
The façade must also meet the requirements laid down in the habitability regulations. The home must have a façade open to the outside, with windows that let in daylight and allow ventilation.
Accessibility
Doors to the interior areas of the home must be at least 0.70 metres wide and 2 metres high. If the home is on two storeys, access to the various separate spaces must be practicable. Staircases must also be at least 0.90 metres wide, with a handrail at least 0.90 metres high.
Daylight and natural ventilation
The various separate spaces, including shared areas, must have direct natural light and ventilation from outside. This must be achieved through windows with a minimum area of one eighth of the room’s usable floor area.
Storage
Bedrooms must also have storage space (in other words, wardrobes) of certain minimum dimensions: 0.60 metres deep, 2.20 metres high and 1 metre long.
Bathrooms
Homes with up to three bedrooms need one bathroom with a WC, a shower tray or bath, and a washbasin. From four bedrooms upwards, two bathrooms are required.
Clothes-drying area
There must be a space of adequate and sufficient size and ventilation for drying clothes. The only exception is where this is not possible under municipal by-laws.
Services, equipment and infrastructure
Naturally, homes must have hot and cold water, wastewater drainage, and electrical infrastructure and supply. They also need a smoke outlet, drainage, an easy-to-open electronic door-entry system, and access to telecommunications services such as internet and telephone.
Habitability requirements are, therefore, an absolutely essential condition for decent housing.
We know this can be a tedious and complicated process, so working with an architecture studio in Málaga can make it much easier for you.
From Klic, architects in Málaga, we hope you found this interesting. Don’t miss our article on the sustainable house.
