Buying property off plan in Spain – Independent advice

With construction commencing again and prices rising in most areas of Spain many people are buying property off plan. This can be a very good way to purchase with payment in instalments until the construction is completed. Buying in this way in Spain is safe and secure provided your lawyer ensures that a guarantee or […]

Why you should register your new or modified construction

In Spain there is no legal obligation to register property at the Land Registry. However, the failure to do so and for the registry to accurately reflect the size and description of the property can have serious and sometimes unforeseen consequences. If you bought a two-bedroom property in the country for example and then obtained […]

Brexit – Moving to Spain – the positive approach

There have been a lot of harbingers of doom about Brexit and British citizens buying property and moving to Spain. However, on re-reading the Joint Report of the UK Government and the European commission of 8th December 2017 it is clear that for those thinking of buying or renting property and living in Spain before […]

Selling property in Spain

De Cotta Law Conveyancing

Clients who own property in Spain are often concerned about both the taxes they will pay on sale and the transfer of their funds after sale. For British clients there can be the additional worry about converting the funds into Sterling from Euros. If you are considering selling, it is a good idea to get […]

Do’s and don’ts when buying property in Spain

Ensure that the legal title is checked and that the property can be sold free of any debts and charges Establish with an English speaking independent lawyer if the property is fully licenced and that no administrative or legal sanctions are in place In Spain there are debts which can be placed against the property […]

Holiday rentals in Andalucia

We are pleased to say that one year since this legislation came into effect many of our clients are now receiving registration numbers issued by the Junta de Andalucia for Holiday Rental properties. The registration document provides a VFT number (Viviendas con Fines Turísticos) and lists documents that must be available if there is an […]

Bank Claims

It is now eight months since the government introduced legislation to deal with claims against banks for maintaining interest rates above Euribor by including floor clauses in mortgages. The aim of the system was to prevent a high number of consumer claims coming to the courts and leading to substantial delays in the court system. […]

Tax and Holiday Rentals

Income earned on the rental of holiday properties in Spain has to be declared to Hacienda, the tax authority. The rate is now 19% but importantly there are a number of expenses that can be set off against the income. These are IBI (rates), Community of owners charges, Agency fees for advertising and maintenance and interest […]

Non resident property owners taxes – Spain

The Spanish tax authorities – Hacienda – have begun a new campaign to ensure that non-residents who own property in Spain do pay their taxes. For many years we have been advising property owners of the importance of paying this tax annually. Now the tax authorities are actually sending demands giving an estimated or provisional figure […]

Holiday rentals and Tourism law

On Friday 1 July the Marbella Congress, Fairs y Exhibitions Centre housed the first Congress that dealt with the Law relevant to Tourism. The event was organised by the Malaga Bar Association in collaboration with Marbella Town Hall.  The seminar raised questions on the legal and regulating framework of the Tourism Law, the peculiarities of hotel […]

Holiday rentals – New law Update

We can now provide an update on the new law on holiday rentals in Andalucia. This will apply to all individual Urban rental properties and not solely to those owners who have three or more properties. The law will come into effect on 12th May 2016. There will be a grace period of one year […]

Legalisation of properties in Andalucía

In Andalusia there are a number of properties, mainly private homes, on land not zoned for construction.  Typically these properties have been built without a licence or without complying with the parameters of a building licence from a local authority, which has possibly ignored the infringement of planning laws. Legalisation of properties in Andalucía is […]