Rules on property let

There are rules/laws for holiday rentals in Spain, similar to the UK. A license needs to be applied for and checks are made to prove that the property is safe and fit for purpose.

If you go into your local Town Hall or Tourist office and ask in there, they should let you know what to do. There is plenty of info online too.

 Also if you have a Solicitor who did your house sale and/or does your Spanish taxes they should be able to help you get the license which is probably the easiest  way to go.

Jan

Hi Jan thank you very much thats very helpful. Can you tell me what the taxes are please? The only thing my agent told me was about the electric and water and she didnt explain that properly. I dont live ir work in Spain ive just bought the house there and got my EMI number thats all. Most of the time it will be just friends visiting for which i wouldnt charge but i may in the future let it. Im a bit wary of the agent i used actually. Thanks again

Pam

Hi

Sorry for the delay replying.

I have a letter that my Fiscal rep sends out each year to advise us when our Tax/Suma/ Electric/Water is due. Obviously the timings/dates of the payments may be different for your area but it gives an idea of what has to be paid.

I will put a copy on here as it may give you some idea of the expenses to budget for.  Suma/IBI (Spanish council tax) is similar to the UK council tax but very much cheaper. Ours was for the whole year on a 3 bed townhouse last year was 249 euros - In the UK we pay more than that each month!

The Tax I mentioned above is called Non Resident tax if you don't live in Spain - I pay that and everyone who owns property and doesn't live in Spain has to pay it each year ( I think ours was approx 150 euros last year) - It is not a tax on rental. If someone rents out their property for monetary gain then they have to pay a different tax as well. 

Those who live in Spain pay 'Residents Tax'.

A solicitor/Fiscal rep will charge a yearly fee to sort all this for you. Ours charges 144 euro a year and for peace of mind I think that is well worth it. Also if they are kept on board as Fiscal representative we've found that  they will always be on hand to answer any question that may crop up or help with anything.

Hope this helps.

Jan

Hi Jan

Thank you for the information it is very useful. I havent really used any water or electricity as yet but checked my Spanish bank account and i have paid 31 euros for electric and 18 for water. The agent who i bought from (who seems to be ignoring me at the moment) said this was just fir standing charges which seemed a lot for me? She said the 80 euros i paid was for council tax which seems quite low for me for a 2 bed on urbanisation? Ive whats apped her this morning to check everything and i know she has read my txt but no answer. Thank you again Jan you have been so helpful.

Regards Pam

The electric and water charges could be correct as the standing charges make up most of the bill. Even when we are in Spain for a few weeks the bills are not much more than when we are not there.

When we first had our property I remember chatting to someone who lived in a similar house all year round and was surprised when we compared utility bills that her bills were not much more than ours.

The main thing that racks up bills in Spain for electricity is heating in Winter and Air con in Summer and for water bills its a swimming pool. 

We don't have any of those as we prefer to only go to Spain for holidays anytime between start of April and July and then September to early November and we have a community swimming pool.

August is too hot and Winter can be cold (generally only for about 3 months though) and when the sun doesn't shine the houses are cold without heating.

Saying that, we absolutely love our Spanish home and always can't wait to get out there again when April comes around. 

 We spend around 3 separate months in Spain since retiring and in my opinion it's the best of both worlds.The 80 euros you paid for council tax may be a portion of the yearly amount depending on when you moved in.  If it was a resale property then the previous owners could have paid up to when they moved out...just a thought!

Hope this helps.

Jan

Hi Jan

Yes its very helpful i do appreciate it. Im the same as you retired and only visiting in certain months. My family and friends will use it though. Its a lovely area and im looking forward to coming 1st may for a week with a friend.

Thanks again

Regards Pam 

It should be nice in May . My daughter and her boyfriend are coming out that week as they don't need to take  so much time off work with the mayday. 

 Enjoy your new property  - It's an exciting time! I really enjoyed getting all those bits and pieces for our holiday home...still do LOL

Jan