Care and distance
Renovating your València home from abroad
You don't need to live in València to renovate there. One project manager runs the job in your language, keeps a set of keys, handles your community's administrator and prepares the permit paperwork. The fixed-price quote in writing is agreed before any work begins.
Renovating from abroad in València: how the rules apply
Each rule below comes from a municipal, regional or national text listed in the sources. The note says what it means for this job; open a rule to read its full wording.
Permission and paperwork
- Start on filing (art. 26)
You do not need to be in València on filing day; works can begin once the complete file is lodged, and the receipt is sent to you.[1]
Rule wording
A valid declaración responsable with all required documents enables the covered works to start on filing, subject to municipal checks. Filing is not a licence or confirmation that an unsuitable project is lawful.
- 6 and 24 months (arts. 15.2, 16.8)
From abroad, decisions take longer; the six-month start and 24-month completion limits are built into the decision schedule we agree.[1]
Rule wording
Declared works must start within 6 months of filing and finish within 24 months of starting. The ordinance does not allow extensions except for stoppages caused by force majeure.
- Notify start and end (art. 28)
Start and completion notices are sent on your behalf within 15 days of each event, and copies go into your document file.[1]
Rule wording
The start and completion of declared works must each be notified to the Ajuntament within 15 days of the event, with the documents required by article 28.
Official charges and tax
- Choose the permitted filing channel
Natural persons can choose paper or electronic filing, while those obliged to deal electronically must use that channel; a non-resident owner can authorise us to file electronically.[3, 4]
Rule wording
UR.LC.140 allows natural persons to choose in-person or electronic filing; persons legally required to deal electronically with the administration must use that channel. The urban fee tariff does not establish a general paper-filing surcharge.
- Paid before filing
Charges are paid before filing; you receive the payment documents with their deadline so the file is not held up.[3]
Rule wording
The tasa and ICIO are paid before the declaración responsable is filed.
- ICIO 4%
4% of the execution material cost of the declared works, shown as a separate line so you can see it before approving the quote.[5, 3]
Rule wording
València’s ICIO rate is 4% of the taxable execution material cost. The declared budget, applicable exclusions and any relief must be checked for the particular works.
- Tasa from €140.90
Starts at €140.90 for a declared base up to €6,010.12 and rises on a sliding scale; the quote shows the band your scope falls in.[4]
Rule wording
The planning fee (tasa urbanística) starts at €140.90 for a base of up to €6,010.12 and rises on a sliding scale. It uses the same base as ICIO.
- IVA 10%
A second home you use privately can qualify like a main home, if the two-year condition and the materials limit are met; a home let between your stays needs checking.[6, 7]
Rule wording
Ordinary dwelling renovation or repair can qualify for 10% IVA when the recipient is a private individual using the dwelling privately, construction or rehabilitation finished at least 2 years before the works, and contractor-supplied materials cost no more than 40% of the taxable base. Qualifying communities of owners are also covered by the law.
- IVA 21%
If the home is let, or used for a business, the private-home route does not apply.[6, 7, 8]
Rule wording
The general IVA rate for ordinary repair or renovation is 21%; the private-home reduced-rate route does not cover rented or business-use dwellings. Construction and works meeting the tax definition of rehabilitation have a separate reduced-rate test, so the contract must be assessed before assigning a rate.
Community and building
- Notice to the community (LPH 7.1)
We send the notice to the administrator for you, with the dates and contacts, before any work starts.[9]
Rule wording
An owner must notify the community’s representative before works inside a flat. Article 7.1 allows those alterations only if they do not impair the building’s safety, general structure or exterior configuration, or prejudice another owner’s rights; notice alone does not authorise changes to common elements.
On site and at handover
- Architect and technical roles
When the scope needs regulated professionals, their appointment terms are sent to you to approve before they start.[10]
Rule wording
For residential building work within the LOE’s project requirements, the law assigns the architectural project and works direction to an architect, and material execution direction to a technical architect. Specialist designers and other technicians act within their legal competence and the agreed project team.
- Completion records and the building book
Handover by video or through your representative still delivers the full document file: certificates, instructions and, for a LOE project, the building book.[10]
Rule wording
For building works covered by the LOE, the completed project with approved changes, reception record, identification of participants and use and maintenance instructions form the building book delivered to users. The documents required for a smaller renovation depend on its scope and installation work.
Do you need a permit?
València’s 2026 ordinance has three routes. Which one your job takes depends on what it touches and on the building.
No permit
Working from abroad does not widen the exemption: the article 14.f list covers the same interior jobs, on the same condition that the installations are not affected. [1]
Declaración responsable
We prepare the declaration and file it electronically under the representation you authorise; UR.LC.140 sets the documents for the scope you choose, and you receive the filing receipt. [1, 2] [3] [3, 4]
Licence
If your scope needs a licence or a structural assessment, we tell you before quoting; a licence application runs on the Ajuntament's timetable, which a remote owner should plan around. [1, 2] [3, 2]
The Ajuntament has the final word. We confirm the route for your home before we quote, and we never start works ahead of it.
Three districts, from the municipal record
The same 2025 sheet records the share of foreign nationals in the district. It describes residents, not the owners of one flat.
District 1
28.4%[13]
Foreign nationals
Ciutat Vella
The highest share of foreign residents of the 19 districts, and part of the BIC historic ensemble [11]: an owner renovating here from abroad also needs the PEP catalogue check before design [12].
District 7
25.7%[14]
Foreign nationals
L’Olivereta (Olivereta)
One in four residents is a foreign national; for an owner managing a flat in Nou Moles or La Llum from abroad, the block's community rules and access arrangements are the first things we collect.
District 15
24.6%[15]
Foreign nationals
Rascanya (Rascaña)
The district figure covers Els Orriols, Torrefiel and Sant Llorenç; inside the catalogued Orriols nucleus [16], a remote project also starts with that boundary check.
Open the district page for protection rules, barrios and the questions that apply there.
Make decisions visible from the start
We agree the project contact, communication language, reporting stages and who can approve expenditure. Photos support the record but do not replace site assessment or technical inspections. The measured visit identifies visible conditions and any need for investigation.
We coordinate independent architectural, interior-design and structural appointments where the project requires them, identifying responsibilities and deliverables in the written scope. [10] The professional roles guide explains the distinction.
Access, community and filing
Agree key custody, authorised access and return. We obtain community rules and prepare the notice with your authority. [9] A required vote or affected owner’s consent is addressed separately.
Electronic filing is prepared with the representation you authorise. Official charges are paid before filing [3], and the works can start once the complete file is lodged. [1] Working remotely does not remove any consent or technical requirement, or the start and completion deadlines. [1]
Choices, changes and completion
Specify products by reference, dimensions and finish, using approved samples where useful. Screen colour is not a reliable substitute for every physical sample, so agree which decisions need an in-person review. The decision schedule is linked to orders and construction stages.
Changes are recorded with price, programme and any design or permission effect before approval. Unexpected discoveries are documented and assessed before the affected work proceeds.
Agree who reviews completion, in person, by video or through your authorised representative. Record operational checks and outstanding items with follow-up arrangements. We hand over keys and the applicable document file by the agreed method. [10] The remote guide and handover checklist explain the records to keep.
How we run it
Free estimate
Send photos or a short video, or book a call. We tell you what the job involves and give a free estimate.
Visit
We visit the property, measure up and look at the building, the installations and the community’s rules.
Design and permissions
We agree the design, coordinate any required independent architect or engineer, and check municipal and community requirements.
Fixed-price quote
You get a fixed-price quote in writing, with the official fees and IVA shown separately.
Paperwork and works
We coordinate any required filing and prior approvals before the affected works start. Your project manager tracks progress, decisions and agreed changes.
Handover
We inspect the agreed work with you, record outstanding items and hand over applicable certificates, manuals and completion documents.
Your questions, answered
Do I need to be in València during the works?
Not usually. We meet at the site visit if you can be there, but decisions, approvals and updates can all happen at a distance. If any step needs you in person, we tell you at the start.
Who will I deal with?
One project manager, in your language, from the free estimate to handover. They coordinate the trades, the administrator and the paperwork, and they are the person who answers your messages.
How will I know how the works are going?
Through the updates we agree at the start: written notes and photographs at set stages, and a video call when a decision needs one. You see the hidden work before it is covered up.
Who deals with the community administrator?
We do. The community’s representative must be given notice before you alter your flat (LPH art. 7.1); we write that notice, answer their questions and keep to the building's rules during the works.
Who holds the keys?
We hold a set for the length of the works and return them however you choose at handover. Visits between projects can be booked through property care.
Sources
- Ordenanza reguladora de licencias urbanísticas y de actividades y de otros títulos habilitantes (Pleno 22 Dec 2025, BOP 27 Jan 2026, in force 28 Jan 2026). Ajuntament de València. Checked 31 October 2026.
- TRLOTUP (Decreto Legislativo 1/2021), art. 189: building evaluation; arts. 232 and 233: licence and declaración responsable; art. 245: utility supplies. Generalitat Valenciana (DOGV). Checked 3 November 2026.
- Sede electrónica procedure UR.LC.140: declaración responsable for works in a flat or common element of a non-catalogued building. Ajuntament de València, sede electrónica. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Ordenanza fiscal: tasa por actuaciones urbanísticas (current municipal procedure attachment). Ajuntament de València. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Ordenanza fiscal reguladora del Impuesto sobre Construcciones, Instalaciones y Obras, arts. 6.2 (bonuses), 7, 8 and 9.2. Ajuntament de València. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ley 37/1992 del IVA, art. 91.Uno.2.10º: reduced rate for renovation of dwellings. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- IVA on renovation and repair works in dwellings: conditions for the 10% rate. Agencia Tributaria (AEAT). Checked 31 October 2026.
- IVA: works of construction or rehabilitation of buildings intended mainly for dwellings. Agencia Tributaria (AEAT). Checked 31 October 2026.
- Ley 49/1960 de Propiedad Horizontal (consolidated text), arts. 7, 9, 10 and 17. BOE. Checked 3 November 2026.
- Ley 38/1999 de Ordenación de la Edificación: arts. 2, 6, 7, 10, 12 and 13. BOE. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Decreto 57/1993: Conjunto Histórico de Valencia declared Bien de Interés Cultural. Generalitat Valenciana. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Plan Especial de Protección de Ciutat Vella and Catálogo (CTU 13 Feb 2020, BOP 26 Feb 2020; modified 2024–25). Ajuntament de València. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 1 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 7 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal district 15 report 2025: population sections 1.3/1.8 and cadastral housing age section 5.1 (page 19). Ajuntament de València, Oficina de Estadística. Checked 31 October 2026.
- Municipal structural heritage catalogue: 15-01 Núcleo Primitivo de Orriols. Ajuntament de València, Urbanisme. Checked 31 October 2026.