47% of buildings that passed the Technical Inspection of Buildings (ITE) in Catalonia during 2024 showed significant or serious deficiencies, according to the annual report by the Sindicatura de Greuges. About 5,300 properties need urgent repairs.
A total of 5,300 residential buildings in Catalonia have deficiencies considered "significant" or "serious" that require repairs by the owners, according to the latest annual report from the Sindicatura de Greuges de Catalunya. The ombudswoman, Esther Giménez-Salinas, presented the data last Wednesday before the Plenary of the Parliament, revealing that nearly half of the technical inspections carried out in 2024 did not pass the test without reservations.
Last year, approximately 11,350 applications for Technical Inspection of Buildings (ITE) were submitted to the Agència de l'Habitatge de Catalunya. Of these, only 53% obtained the suitability certificate without deficiencies or with minor deficiencies. The remaining 47%, that is, five out of ten buildings, received certificates of 'provisionally suitable', 'cautiously suitable' or 'not suitable', depending on whether measures had been taken to resolve the risk situation for people or property.
In Catalonia, all residential buildings constructed 45 years ago or more — that is, as of 2026, those built in 1981 and earlier — are required to pass the ITE. This is a visual review carried out by a qualified professional who assesses the general condition of the common elements. The technician classifies deficiencies as minor, significant, serious, or very serious and recommends the necessary actions. Based on that report, the Generalitat issues the corresponding suitability certificate.
The result of an ITE can be classified into five categories: 'suitable' (without deficiencies or with minor deficiencies), 'provisionally suitable' (significant deficiencies), 'cautiously suitable' (serious or very serious deficiencies with precautionary measures taken), and 'not suitable' (high severity without mitigating measures). The ombudswoman laments that often those who do not pass the ITE do so for economic or social reasons.
According to the report, "not all owners of buildings over 45 years old comply with the duty to undergo the technical inspection, which means there are still many unassessed." Calculating how many properties should have passed the ITE but have not is complex, as, depending on the classification received, it can take up to ten years for a building to need to undergo the inspection again. However, data from Idescat in 2011 indicates that in 1980 Catalonia had about 700,000 residential buildings. In 2024, only 11,350 properties applied for the ITE. Since 1998, 98,322 inspections have been carried out out of a total of 1,177,321 residential buildings in Catalonia.
Beyond the possible ignorance of the owners, the ombudswoman points to the main cause of non-compliance as "there are communities of owners who cannot afford the cost of the inspection, which they have to contract themselves, nor the works that arise from it." She also highlights the difficulties in financing the necessary renovations after the certificate is issued.
The oldest homes in cities are often "mostly located in low-income neighbourhoods, built in the 1960s, when there was a significant increase in construction to accommodate people migrating to industrial cities." In those years of 'developmentism', "the speed of processes and budget reductions were prioritised, and materials such as aluminosilicate cement were used in beams and slabs," the report adds.
For residents of the province of Barcelona, where a large part of the old building stock is concentrated, these figures serve as a wake-up call. Many communities of owners will have to face inspections and possible works in the coming years, especially in neighbourhoods like Sants, Gràcia or Raval in the capital, or in municipalities in the metropolitan area such as L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona or Santa Coloma de Gramenet, where buildings from the 1960s are abundant.
The Sindicatura de Greuges insists on the need for administrations to provide financial aid and technical advice to communities with fewer resources to ensure the safety of buildings and avoid risk situations. The complete report can be consulted on the agency's website.
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