The expensive mistakes are not in the ADR. They are a licence that does not transfer, a community vote against tourist use, a garage plot sold as the apartment, or a home policy that excludes commercial guests. Tick what you have in writing — progress stays in this browser.
Checklist
Tourist licence / registration number matches this unit — Screenshot the listing number, then match it to the town-hall or national registry extract for this cadastral plot — not the building next door.
Written clause that the licence transfers with the sale — If the seller 'will handle the change of holder after completion', put a penalty in the deposit contract. Verbal promises die at the notary.
Community / HOA statutes allow short-term letting — Ask for the last two AGM minutes, not only the glossy brochure. A 2024 vote against tourist use beats a 2018 licence.
Title, cadastre and listing address are the same plot — Mismatched door numbers, garage plots sold as 'the apartment', and rural land sold as urban are the expensive surprises.
No hidden debts, works levies or unpaid community fees — Get a notary extract of charges. Facade, lift and tourist-licence lawsuits transfer with the keys.
Energy certificate and occupancy / habitability papers exist — Banks and future buyers will ask. A missing cédula / permit de louer / Energieausweis is a delay, not a footnote.
Insurer will cover short-term guests (not only owner-occupier) — A standard home policy often excludes commercial letting. Price a holiday-let policy before you sign.
Spain: licence, IBI, community and occupancy certificate in the arras — Condition the 10% deposit on a transferable tourist licence, nota simple without surprises, and a cédula de habitabilidad that matches the beds you intend to let.
Portugal: RNAL / AL status and containment-zone check — Look up the freguesia on the municipal AL map. A listing that 'has always been on Airbnb' in a frozen parish is not a licence.
France: meublé number and change-of-use (if not a primary residence) — Paris and many cities above 200k inhabitants treat a second home as a change of use. Compensation stock can cost more than the furniture.
Italy: CIN code, SCIA / comune filing, fire-safety — Florence's historic centre and Venice are special cases. A CIN on a different unit in the same palazzo does not cover yours.
Netherlands: municipal permit, registration number, night cap — Amsterdam is 30 nights and banned in parts of the centre. Do not copy those rules onto Zeeland or a holiday park — and vice versa.
Licence first, furniture later
A beautiful interior does not let. In Spain you want the HUT/VUT and the national registry number on this cadastral plot, plus a clause in the arras that the licence transfers. In Portugal you want the RNAL/AL and a parish that is not in a freeze. In France a meublé number is not enough for a second home in a city that requires change-of-use. In Italy the CIN must be this unit, not another lot in the palazzo. In the Netherlands the municipal permit and night cap are local — Amsterdam is not Zeeland.
The building can overrule the town hall
Community statutes and the last two AGM minutes beat a 2018 tourist licence. A 2024 vote against short-term letting is the number that belongs in your model: zero tourist nights. Ask for unpaid community fees, facade and lift levies, and lawsuits. They transfer with the keys.
Title, energy, insurance
Mismatched door numbers and rural land sold as urban are still common. Banks and the next buyer will ask for the energy certificate and occupancy papers (cédula, permis de louer, Energieausweis). A standard home policy often excludes STR — price a holiday-let policy before you sign.
How to run due diligence on a European holiday home
Filter the list to the country. Country-specific rows (arras, AL, meublé, CIN, Dutch permit) appear when you switch the selector.
Tick only what is in writing. A WhatsApp from the agent is not the nota simple.
Condition the deposit on the gaps. Whatever is still unchecked belongs in the reservation contract as a condition or a price chip.
Re-read HOA minutes last. A fresh ban on tourist use overrides a historic licence.
Frequently asked questions
Does a tourist licence automatically transfer with the sale?
Often no. Many cities treat the licence as personal. Put a written transfer / change-of-holder clause in the deposit contract, with a penalty if it fails after completion.
Can the HOA ban Airbnb after I buy?
In many markets yes, or they already did. Minutes beat marketing copy. Underwrite that risk explicitly.
Is this a substitute for a lawyer?
No. It is the list we wish every buyer ran before they paid a 10% deposit. A local conveyancing lawyer still closes the file.
Where is my progress stored?
Only in this browser's local storage, keyed by country. Clearing site data clears the ticks.
Analyse a real listing in 60 seconds
Paste a Funda, Idealista, Rightmove or ImmoScout24 URL. Terrivio returns net yield, cashflow, risk score, tax and STR rules for 13 European countries. Launching 6 October 2026.
All figures are indicative estimates for orientation only and do not constitute financial, tax or legal advice. Verify local rules with a qualified adviser. Last updated: 2026-09-13.