Central Government in Spain is cracking down on the «empty home» syndrome where owners fail to rent out their properties, however, this only applies to second under special circumstances.
Most second homes will be exempt from the increase in IBI (equivilant to council tax) which may be imposed by the local authority in a new bid to force landlords to rent out empty properites. A second home may only incurr the increase in IBI if it is left empty for complete four year period. Moreover, this does not apply to second homes which are up for sale and so are exempt.
Landlords with four properties or more in Spain and where two of the properties are not rented may attract an increase of IBI of 150%.
Owners of a single empty property designed to be rented, which attracts an IBI of, for example, 315 euros annually, may pay 472 euros as a penalty for not renting the property in the first year and face an annual increase.
The increases of IBI have been designed by the central Government to encourage landlords to rent out their empty properties, however, it is up to the discretion of the local authority as to whether they apply the increases.
