Category: News

Cataluña is considering restricting property purchases to primary residences in areas with high housing demand. This proposal, supported by local authorities including Barcelona City Council, aims to curb speculative buying and ensure housing availability for residents. A legal study commissioned by the Barcelona Metropolitan Strategic Plan (PEMB) suggests that such restrictions are legally feasible if applied exceptionally and with clear territorial and temporal limits. The […]

Being self-employed in Spain may suck even more next year… The Spanish government is preparing to raise the Social Security contributions for self-employed workers (autónomos). The increases would range between €11 and 206 per month starting next year. The percentage hikes vary depending on the self-employed person’s income, up to 35 % in some cases. The proposed hikes would affect the 490,717 foreigners who are […]

Non-EU residents renting out property in Spain may now be able to deduct expenses against their rental income. On 28 July 2025, Spain’s Audiencia Nacional (National Court) ruled that this right should extend to non-EU owners, not just EU and EEA residents. What Changed? Non-EU owners were previously taxed at 24% on gross rental income with no deductions. The court ruled this unequal treatment, compared […]

New ruling: foreigners under the so-called “Beckham Law” must pay tax on their primary home in Spain. As I understand it, some courts previously suggested this tax could be avoided, but the Central Tax Tribunal now rules there is no exemption. For estate agents, this affects the total cost for international buyers. High-value clients may see higher annual taxes than expected. Understanding this change helps […]

The municipality of Málaga City has recently introduced a three-year pause on the issuing of new short-term rental licenses. This decision, aimed at addressing housing supply pressures and resident concerns, has direct implications for investors in the wider Costa del Sol market. One immediate consequence is that investors seeking to operate legally in the short-term rental (STR) sector will need to look beyond Málaga City […]

Málaga Airport is now Spain’s 4th busiest, a direct runway to more international demand on the Costa del Sol. Over 50 airlines operate direct connections to between 124 and 157 destinations from Malaga Airport, spanning more than 30 countries (mostly across Europe, as well as Africa, the Middle East, and North America). Malaga Airport now handles ~85% of all international arrivals into Andalucia and is […]

Spain’s Ministry of Labour is enforcing the “right to disconnect” more strictly. Companies can be fined up to €7,500 for contacting employees during holidays or outside working hours. Spain’s right is tied to its 2021 remote-work law. Does This Law Apply to Self-Employed Agents? Usually, no. If your agents are self-employed (autónomos): They set their own hours. They invoice you as independent professionals. In these […]

Starting in August 2025, Airbnb will provide monthly data to Spain’s Ministry of Housing as part of a comprehensive crackdown on illegal short-term rentals. The collaboration, formalized in a meeting yesterday, establishes new enforcement mechanisms to identify and eliminate unregistered listings from the platform, according to an official press release. Under the agreement, Airbnb will systematically remove listings that lack valid registration numbers or show […]

Spain’s housing market is experiencing a historic supply crunch. According to new data from Spain’s largest property portal Idealista, the number of homes for sale in the country fell by 20% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025. This is the largest year-on-year drop ever recorded since Idealista began keeping records. This nationwide trend is putting pressure on buyers and shifting the dynamics in many […]