Natural-hazard check for a home

You will learn how to judge a home's exposure using official maps, local knowledge and what you can see on the street. Checking an address is a separate task from choosing a neighbourhood, and it is worth doing before you commit to a lease or a purchase.

Start with "How to check a home's natural-hazard exposure before renting or buying". It gives you the order to work in and shows where the other pages fit.

From there, go to the page that matches the question in front of you:

• Reading the official flood maps for an address.
• Checking wildfire, coastal and landslide exposure.
• Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about past floods and storm damage.
• Spotting warning signs on the street when you view a home.
• Finding your area's emergency plan, evacuation routes and meeting points.

Building rules for buyers in flood zones, home orientation and thermal comfort, insurance cover and your household crisis plan are covered elsewhere.

Key rules

• When to check: Finish the hazard checks before you pay any reservation deposit or sign arras or a lease.
• Return periods: A T=10 flood has about a 10% chance in any year, T=50 about 2%, T=100 about 1% and T=500 about 0.2%.
• Flooding: Flood is the hazard most likely to hurt a Spanish home, so check it first and at more than one level.
• Frequent floods: A home inside the T=10 or T=50 zone has frequent exposure and a serious risk.
• Long-term odds: A 1% yearly chance (T=100) is roughly 26% over a 30-year mortgage.
• Flood maps: A flood map does not show wildfire, coastal-boundary or landslide risk.

Natural-hazard check for a home: the whole process, step by step

• Run the online map checks for flood, wildfire and coastal risk. See "How to check a home's natural-hazard exposure before renting or buying" and "Reading Spain's official flood maps (zonas inundables) for an address": Before you view the home; the map checks take minutes

• Ask the landlord, seller and neighbours about past floods and storm damage, and put your questions to the owner in writing. See "Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about floods and storm damage": At or just after the viewing

• Look at the street and surroundings for signs of flood, fire and slope risk. See "What to look for on the street when you view a home": During the viewing

• Ask the ayuntamiento's urban planning office (urbanismo) for an informe urbanístico, which states the plot's restrictions, including any flood zone: Right after the viewing; answers commonly take 1 to 3 months, so ask early, and the legal limit is about three months

• For a home at a forest edge or in an urbanización, ask the ayuntamiento and the community about firebreak and self-protection rules. See "Checking wildfire, coastal and landslide exposure for an address": Before you pay any deposit

• Finish all hazard checks. Buyers should also have a lawyer confirm flood-zone, planning and coastal limits: Before you pay any reservation deposit or sign arras or a lease

• Find your area's emergency plan, evacuation routes and meeting points. See "Finding your area's emergency plan, evacuation routes and meeting points": After you decide on the home, and before or when you move in

• If you find a hidden defect after you take the home, claim quickly: Within six months of delivery for a hidden-defect claim

Documents you may need

Payments and receipts

• Invoices for any flood or water repairs — Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about floods and storm damage

Guarantees

• The home insurance policy and its claims history — Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about floods and storm damage

Other documents

• Community meeting minutes — Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about floods and storm damage
• Municipal flood reports or the local emergency plan — Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about floods and storm damage

Natural-hazard check for a home: questions that cross several articles

When should I do the hazard check when renting or buying?

Do the online map checks before you view the home and finish every check before you pay any reservation deposit or sign arras or a lease. Local checks fit best at or just after the viewing. Start with "How to check a home's natural-hazard exposure before renting or buying", then read "Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about floods and storm damage".

How do I find the official flood viewer for my region?

Start with the national flood-zone viewer, which links to the river-basin authorities, or search your region's name plus "visor zonas inundables". Catalonia, the Basque Country and Valencia have their own regional mapping as well. Read "Reading Spain's official flood maps (zonas inundables) for an address" for how to use it.

Is my home safe if the flood map shows it outside a flood zone?

No, a home outside the mapped zones can still flood, because small ramblas, heavy-rain runoff and drain failures are often not mapped, and old studies can be out of date. Combine the map with local history and a site visit. Read "What to look for on the street when you view a home" and "Asking landlords, sellers and neighbours about floods and storm damage".

Can the town hall tell me about flood or fire limits on a specific plot?

Yes, the urban planning office (urbanismo) can issue an informe urbanístico stating the plot's restrictions, which may include flood zone, for a fee set locally. Fire rules are regional, so also ask the regional forestry department and the urbanización's community. Read "Checking wildfire, coastal and landslide exposure for an address" for the fire side.