What the data shows
65,3% of the housing dates from 1980 or earlier
Of the 5.516.744 dwellings with a known construction year across the 20 cities, 65,3% are in buildings put up by 1980. The share varies widely from one city to another: from 38,2% in Murcia to 84,7% in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. Age says nothing about the condition of a particular building, but it does tell you what to ask for: the latest building inspection, pending works and any special levies (derramas) the owners have approved.
1951-1970: 31,9% of the dwellings
Buildings from 1951 to 1970, the period associated with aluminous cement joists, hold 31,9% of the dwellings; in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat the figure reaches 48,5%. The date alone does not tell you whether a given building has aluminosis: the report expresses it as a likelihood level in words, based on the year and any damage recorded in the inspection, and tells you what to check.
Flood zones in 19 of 19 municipal areas
Spain's National Flood Zone Mapping System (SNCZI) maps flood zones inside the municipal boundary of 19 of the 19 cities with data; Málaga has the most areas at significant potential flood risk (ARPSI), with 12. A flood zone somewhere in the municipality does not mean a given street or building is inside it: the report checks that against the plot. In Murcia the service did not respond on the day we checked, so we neither confirm nor rule it out.
Earthquake and radon exposure differ from city to city
The basic seismic acceleration of the NCSE-02 building standard reaches 0,15 g in Murcia and Elche, while in 6 cities it is below 0,04 g. For radon, the Spanish Technical Building Code places Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Badalona in zone II, the one with the strictest protection requirements, and 6 more cities in zone I.
Inspection registers: 8 of 20
In 8 of the 20 cities the report checks the official building inspection register of the region (Madrid region, Valencian Community and Basque Country). In the other 12 we do not check any register yet, so ask the seller or the property manager for the latest inspection before you sign. We do not publish figures from these registers, only whether the report checks them.