https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed The Spanish government has launched a raft of new financial incentives to convince property owners to put their empty homes back on the rental market, from an extra €600 a month for renting them out at affordable prices, to €35,000 for renovation work. https://www.thelocal.es/20260513/how-spain-will-pay-owners-of-empty-homes-to-put-them-back-on-the-market Wed, 13 May 2026 10:40:45 +0200 how-spain-will-pay-owners-of-empty-homes-to-put-them-back-on-the-market If you bought a property in Spain last year and you're a tax resident, it's mandatory to declare this on your income tax return. Here's how. https://www.thelocal.es/20260511/how-your-annual-tax-declaration-changes-when-you-buy-a-property-in-spain Mon, 11 May 2026 10:59:52 +0200 how-your-annual-tax-declaration-changes-when-you-buy-a-property-in-spain Brussels has again called out Madrid for taxing second home owners in Spain unfairly, giving them two months to take action or face litigation from the European Court of Justice. https://www.thelocal.es/20260504/eu-issues-ultimatum-to-spain-over-non-resident-property-tax Mon, 04 May 2026 15:08:39 +0200 eu-issues-ultimatum-to-spain-over-non-resident-property-tax For the last few years, the Canary Islands have been talking about limiting the number of foreign homebuyers in order to help solve their property crisis. Now politicians are debating who exactly should be the target of potential restrictions. https://www.thelocal.es/20260506/non-residents-or-foreigners-spains-canaries-debate-who-should-face-property-limits Wed, 06 May 2026 10:33:51 +0200 non-residents-or-foreigners-spains-canaries-debate-who-should-face-property-limits Interested in buying a property in Spain's region of Catalonia but would rather it not be in Barcelona? Here are the areas most popular with foreigners and the prices you can expect to pay. https://www.thelocal.es/20260505/revealed-where-foreigners-are-buying-the-most-homes-in-catalonia Tue, 05 May 2026 12:27:15 +0200 revealed-where-foreigners-are-buying-the-most-homes-in-catalonia At a time when foreigners are blamed by many for property market pressures in Spain, new data reveals that around one in three Spaniards own a second home. https://www.thelocal.es/20260421/one-third-of-spanish-households-own-a-second-home-data-shows Tue, 21 Apr 2026 10:56:07 +0200 one-third-of-spanish-households-own-a-second-home-data-shows The ruling partially overturns a ban on certain types of licences for new tourist accommodation in the Mediterranean city. https://www.thelocal.es/20260417/valencia-court-overturns-tourist-flat-licence-suspension Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:57:18 +0200 valencia-court-overturns-tourist-flat-licence-suspension Buying a foreclosed home in Spain can have its advantages, but it's also a riskier option with several key factors you need to consider before making the purchase. https://www.thelocal.es/20260413/what-to-know-before-buying-a-foreclosed-home-in-spain Mon, 13 Apr 2026 16:30:45 +0200 what-to-know-before-buying-a-foreclosed-home-in-spain There are many reasons behind Spain's surging property market, but some experts say the very search engines we use to house hunt - including Idealista and Fotocasa - could actually themselves be contributing to price rises. https://www.thelocal.es/20260410/do-spains-property-website-algorithms-push-up-prices Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:53:35 +0200 do-spains-property-website-algorithms-push-up-prices Despite record home sales in Spain in 2025, new data shows that the number of purchases by non-resident foreigners fell last year, suggesting that the threat of limits on foreign buyers could be dissuading many potential second home owners. https://www.thelocal.es/20260409/non-resident-foreigners-buy-fewer-properties-in-spain Thu, 09 Apr 2026 11:04:19 +0200 non-resident-foreigners-buy-fewer-properties-in-spain Many Spanish cities are full of graffiti ranging from indecipherable scribbles to artistic murals. Some are legal, others not. We break down the law on graffiti in Spain, the penalties, and what do if someone graffities your property. https://www.thelocal.es/20230217/whats-the-law-on-graffiti-in-spain Fri, 17 Feb 2023 09:23:00 +0100 whats-the-law-on-graffiti-in-spain Recently moved house and looking to furnish your new home in Spain? Here's where to look for furniture beyond the likes of Ikea. https://www.thelocal.es/20250722/more-than-ikea-where-else-to-buy-furniture-in-spain Tue, 22 Jul 2025 12:01:15 +0200 more-than-ikea-where-else-to-buy-furniture-in-spain Following a court ruling last year that eliminated a tax penalty on non-residents paying wealth tax in Spain, the Spanish government is now moving to bring rules on the 'millionaire tax' in line. https://www.thelocal.es/20260326/spain-to-scrap-penalty-for-non-residents-paying-millionaire-tax Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:01:39 +0100 spain-to-scrap-penalty-for-non-residents-paying-millionaire-tax Here's what you need to know about the Spanish government's new decree regarding rental contracts, whether you're a landlord or a tenant. https://www.thelocal.es/20260323/what-spains-rent-cap-extension-means-for-tenants-and-landlords Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:42:24 +0100 what-spains-rent-cap-extension-means-for-tenants-and-landlords It may seem like the ongoing conflict between Iran and the US and Israel is happening far away, but it’s already starting to affect life in Spain, including the property market. https://www.thelocal.es/20260316/how-will-the-war-in-iran-affect-the-property-market-in-spain Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:38:54 +0100 how-will-the-war-in-iran-affect-the-property-market-in-spain Designing and building a home in Spain is a dream for many, but it often quickly turns into a nightmare when it comes to getting planning permission from the local 'ayuntamiento' (town hall). https://www.thelocal.es/20260309/why-you-should-think-twice-before-building-a-house-in-spain Mon, 09 Mar 2026 11:43:09 +0100 why-you-should-think-twice-before-building-a-house-in-spain When it's your turn to be president of 'la comunidad' in your shared residential building, you'll have a few responsibilities to take on. But is there a way to get out of it? https://www.thelocal.es/20260304/what-to-know-about-being-president-of-your-buildings-community-in-spain Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:54:20 +0100 what-to-know-about-being-president-of-your-buildings-community-in-spain Property prices in Spain have risen so much over the last few years that it's no longer a country with bargain homes really. However, the data shows that there are plenty of cities - even on the coast - where you can buy for under €200,000. https://www.thelocal.es/20260305/listed-the-cities-in-spain-where-you-can-still-buy-a-flat-for-under-e200k Thu, 05 Mar 2026 15:17:51 +0100 listed-the-cities-in-spain-where-you-can-still-buy-a-flat-for-under-e200k If you’re an American moving to or visiting Spain, you will have noticed that the style of homes and the materials they're made from are very different. Here's why wooden homes are quite rare here. https://www.thelocal.es/20250124/why-does-spain-build-with-concrete-while-the-us-uses-wood Fri, 24 Jan 2025 13:07:24 +0100 why-does-spain-build-with-concrete-while-the-us-uses-wood PP and Vox representatives in the Balearic Islands parliament this week voted down a proposal to limit property purchases by non-residents, the latest in a series of measures drawn up to try and combat market stresses on the archipelago. https://www.thelocal.es/20260227/spanish-right-rejects-limits-on-non-resident-property-purchases-in-balearics Fri, 27 Feb 2026 12:21:59 +0100 spanish-right-rejects-limits-on-non-resident-property-purchases-in-balearics