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Spain’s Residential Property Ownership Act applies to all freehold apartments, business premises, garages, terrace houses and residential complexes that have commonly owned property (e.g. green areas, stairways, etc.). The Act, which dates back to the 1960s, has now been updated with Reform Act 8/2013, particularly with regard to social and energy efficiency-related requirements. This now makes it far easier to obtain licences for the retrofitting of lifts and barrier-free access for people with disabilities and residents aged over 70. The Spanish Residential Property Ownership Act applies not only to freehold apartments but also to terrace houses such as the one in Coll den Rabassa, shown above. Owner associations’ ability to act has also been improved. For example, unanimous decisions ...

More flexibility, more control, and new rights: How the Spanish government wants to boost the crippling tenancy market and what implications this will have. By Daniel Olabarría­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ On 6th June of this year the Law 4/2013 of 4th June on the Spanish Tenancy Market came into force. The reason for the revised version of the former Spanish Tenancy Law is explained in the preamble: “The Spanish real estate market is characterised by a high number of real estate and a weak tenancy market. In Spain, only 17 per cent of the population live in rented accommodation, as opposed to the European average of 30 per cent,” it says. The measures adopted are mainly targeted at private owners of vacant dwellings that are to be encouraged to enter long term rental agreeme...