Renovation & construction
Business activity licences: changing the use of commercial premises
Permission for premises to have commercial use and permission for a specific business are separate documents. A tenant change almost always requires the latter again.
A llicència d'activitats, or the lighter comunicació prèvia d'activitats route for less demanding activities, authorises a specific business—restaurant, shop, office or gym—rather than use of the premises in general. Each activity has its own technical requirements for ventilation, fire safety, noise, waste and accessibility. This regulatory layer is independent of whether the building's general use classification is residential or commercial. Two units with the same use status may need entirely different licences depending on the proposed business.
A change of tenant does not automatically transfer the licence
An important practical point: when the tenant or activity changes, the previous business's licence does not automatically pass to the new one. The new activity generally requires its own licence or notification, even if the unit remains formally commercial and no physical alterations are made. The gap between the previous and proposed requirements determines how straightforward the transition will be. Replacing one shop with another is usually quicker than introducing a technically different activity.
When changing activity requires building works
If the new business imposes substantially different technical requirements—for example, converting a shop into a restaurant with a kitchen and extraction—the process goes beyond paperwork. Building works will be needed to meet new ventilation and fire-safety standards, followed by inspections confirming compliance. This is a separate budget item and programme allowance for repositioning the unit, rather than a formality settled by a couple of municipal-office visits.
This differs from changing the building's use
Do not confuse an activity licence with permission to change a property between residential and commercial use. These are separate procedures on different grounds; the latter is covered in change of use and licensing. Premises can retain commercial status for years while passing through several activity licences as tenants change. That is a normal commercial-property lifecycle, rather than evidence of a defect in the unit. In DNPI's commercial strategy, activity licensing is an additional check when selecting a tenant, alongside the unit's own use status. It should be resolved during negotiations, rather than after the lease is signed. Requiring a business plan and an early check of its technical requirements can save months of vacancy without income. Empty commercial premises cost the owner more than a paper appraisal may suggest.
Questions and answers
Do already-commercial premises need a new licence when the business changes?
Generally yes. The licence relates to the specific activity rather than the unit's general status and does not automatically transfer from the previous tenant.
How does an activity licence differ from change-of-use permission?
Change-of-use permission governs a property's transition between residential and commercial status. An activity licence governs the specific business within commercial premises. They are independent documents.
When does a tenant change require works as well as paperwork?
When the new activity has different technical requirements. A typical example is changing a shop into a venue with a kitchen, requiring extraction and additional fire protection.