Category: Property & Housing
Buying, renting and owning a home in Spain as a foreigner. This section follows the whole arc of a Spanish property: the taxes you pay to acquire one (ITP on resales, IVA plus AJD on new builds, and the notary and Land Registry costs that push the total 10–14% above the asking price), the recurring taxes you pay every year afterwards (IBI, the tasa de basura, and the IRNR imputed-income return that non-resident owners owe even on an empty flat), and the plusvalía municipal that lands when you sell, inherit or gift it. It also covers renting — contract types, the legal deposit limits, and the scams that target newcomers before they have a Spanish payslip or guarantor — along with the specific traps of buying off-plan and of buying anywhere near the coast, where the Ley de Costas can restrict what you own more than the deed suggests. Regional comparisons and market context sit here too.
-
Written by
Selling Property in Spain as a Non-Resident 2026: The 3% Retention, Capital Gains, and How to Claim Your Refund
The 3% withheld when a non-resident sells Spanish property is not a tax — it is a deposit against one. This 2026 guide explains Modelo 211 and Modelo 210, how the gain is really calculated, why the buyer becomes liable for the plusvalía municipal, and how to claim your refund before the four-month deadline.
-
Written by
IBI, Plusvalía Municipal, and the Annual Taxes of Owning Property in Spain 2026: The Complete “After You Buy” Guide
The complete guide to the annual taxes of owning a home in Spain in 2026: how IBI works, the IRNR imputed-income tax that surprises non-resident owners, the tasa de basura, Wealth Tax thresholds, and the reformed plusvalía municipal you pay when you sell.
-
Written by
Renting a Home in Spain as a Foreigner 2026: Contracts, Deposits, and How to Avoid the Most Common Scams
A practical 2026 guide to renting a home in Spain as a foreigner: the two contract types and why it matters, how much deposit a landlord can legally ask for, the charges now banned under the Housing Law, and how to spot the rental scams that most often target newcomers.
-
Written by
The Complete Guide to Property Purchase Taxes in Spain 2026: ITP, IVA, AJD, and Notary Costs Explained
A complete 2026 guide to the taxes and fees when buying property in Spain: how ITP, IVA, and AJD work, the rates region by region, notary, Land Registry and gestoría costs, and the filing deadlines that protect your purchase.
-
Written by
Buying Off-Plan Property in Spain 2026: Bank Guarantees, Legal Deadlines, and Buyer Protection
Buying off-plan in Spain is well protected by law, but only if you follow the steps the law requires. How the LOE bank guarantee works, the building-licence gap that leaves early payments unprotected, the staged payment structure, the 1/3/10-year statutory warranties, and the red flags that should stop a purchase before money changes hands.
-
Written by
Buying a Beachfront Villa in Spain: Understanding the Ley de Costas and Its Impact on Exclusive Coastal Properties
Owning a villa on the beach does not mean owning the beach. How Spain’s Coastal Law divides the shoreline into zones, why the 1988 text alone is misleading after the 2013 reform, what the deslinde line decides, the difference between owning and holding a concession, and the checks to run before you make an offer.
