Property News & Expat Guide for Spain

If you own an apartment in Barcelona, a holiday townhouse on the Costa Brava, or a rustic villa in Girona, selling or letting out property in Catalonia has just gained another layer of red tape.

Under the regional Law 8/2026 on the Eradication of Asbestos, property owners across Catalonia must now produce an official certificate confirming the presence or absence of asbestos (amianto or uralita) whenever they sell or sign a new tenancy agreement.

Taking effect from 3 October 2026, this new requirement turns an invisible building health issue into a mandatory pre-sale hurdle. For British homeowners and overseas landlords accustomed to the standard paperwork drill—energy performance certificates, habitability certificates (cédulas), and deeds—missing this step could stall your completion at the notary or trigger unexpected fines.

What Does Law 8/2026 Actually Require?

The new Catalan framework forms part of a wider public health and environmental roadmap to identify and systematically remove asbestos from the built environment over the coming decades.

From 3 October 2026, Article 21 and the Seventh Additional Provision of the law establish clear obligations:

• Property Sales: Sellers must supply a technical certificate specifying whether asbestos-containing materials are present or absent within the property. If materials containing asbestos are detected, the report must evaluate their condition, deterioration levels, and whether they pose an immediate health risk.

• Rental Agreements: Landlords entering into new lease contracts must hand a copy of the asbestos certificate to the incoming tenant.

• Commercial Real Estate: The obligation applies broadly across all real estate transactions, covering commercial units, industrial premises, garages, and residential homes.

• Property Advertising Disclosures: In consumer-facing transactions, estate agent marketing and portal listings must formally disclose the presence or absence of asbestos based on the technical certificate.

• Land Registry Notation: For sales, the certificate’s findings are recorded alongside the deed at the Land Registry (Registro de la Propiedad).

The Sales & Rental Checklist: How It Compares

To keep your paperwork straight when selling or renting out a Catalan home, here is how the new certificate fits alongside existing requirements:

What Happens If Asbestos Is Discovered?

A positive detection does not automatically halt a sale or invalidate a lease.

1. Stable Asbestos vs. Damaged Asbestos: Undamaged, non-friable asbestos (such as an exterior rainwater pipe in sound condition) does not release harmful fibres into the air. In such cases, the certificate simply logs its existence and location, allowing the sale or rental contract to proceed lawfully.

2. Damaged or Hazardous Materials: If the technical inspection discovers crumbling, degraded asbestos that poses an active inhalation hazard, landlords must remediate the risk before letting the property to guarantee habitability. For buyers and sellers, degraded asbestos inevitably becomes a key price-negotiation point, as removal requires certified hazardous-waste abatement contractors (empresas RERA).

3. The Notary Question: While the lack of a certificate does not make a deed of sale automatically void under contract law, guidance issued by the Colegio Notarial de Cataluña advises notaries to demand the document before completion. Showing up on signing day without it risks an eleventh-hour postponement.

4. Fines for Non-Compliance: Failure to provide the required certificate is classified as a minor administrative infraction, with potential fines ranging from €100 to €3,000 (approx. £85 to £2,550), though transitional enforcement provisions are tied to the phased rollout of the law's sanctioning regime.

What This Means for British Expats and Property Owners

If you own real estate in Catalonia, navigating this change boils down to forward planning:

• Do Not Wait for an Offer: If you plan to put your property on the market this autumn or winter, commission the asbestos inspection alongside your EPC and cédula. Scrambling to book an accredited surveyor once an eager buyer is waiting on exchange dates creates unnecessary friction.

• Check Communal Facilities: For flat owners in blocks built before 2002, find out if your Comunidad de Propietarios (homeowners' association) has already carried out a building-wide asbestos audit. Communal lightwells and shared downpipes are the most common hiding spots for legacy asbestos-cement.

• Watch for National Ripple Effects: While Law 8/2026 is regional Catalan legislation, European directives are pushing member states across the continent toward comprehensive asbestos eradication. Property owners in other autonomous communities—such as the Costa Blanca or Costa del Sol—should not be surprised if similar audit certificates eventually surface elsewhere in Spain.

If you have started researching how property transactions work in Spain, you will have come across the term nota simple fairly quickly — it is one of the first documents any buyer, lawyer, or bank will mention. This guide answers the questions people most commonly ask about it: what it is, who can request one, what it actually contains, how to read it, and what it costs.

What is the nota simple?

The nota simple is an official informative extract from Spain's Registro de la Propiedad (Land Registry), summarising the key legal facts about a specific, registered property: who owns it, its physical description, and any debts, mortgages, or other charges registered against it.

It is important to understand what it is not: a nota simple is purely informative. It has no legal certifying value in court — for that, a different document, the certificación registral, is required. In practice, the nota simple is what almost everyone actually uses day to day, since it is faster, cheaper, and gives buyers, lawyers, and banks everything they typically need to assess a property before a transaction.

What is the nota simple used for?

• Confirming that the person selling a property is its genuine, legally registered owner
• Checking whether the property carries any mortgages, debts, liens, or other charges that could transfer to a new owner
• Verifying the property's registered description matches what is actually being bought — size, boundaries, and registered use
• Meeting a bank's requirement as part of the mortgage valuation process

Who can request a nota simple?

Spanish law allows anyone with legitimate interest (interés legítimo) in a property to request its nota simple. In practice, this is interpreted broadly and rarely creates a barrier — the Land Registry does not usually ask a requester to prove their interest in detail. Typical requesters include:

• Prospective buyers researching a property before making an offer
• The property's current owner, checking their own registered details
• Lawyers and gestores carrying out due diligence on a client's behalf
• Banks and mortgage valuers, as a standard part of the lending process
• Estate agents, when preparing a property for sale

You do not need to own a property, or even be in Spain, to request a nota simple on it. This is precisely what makes it such a useful early research tool — you can check a property's legal status before committing to travel, view it in person, or make an offer.

How to get a nota simple

There are three main ways to request one:

• Online: through the official Registradores de España website, which also lets you request the document in English or any of Spain's official languages
• In person: at the specific Land Registry office covering the area where the property is located
• Via a lawyer or gestor: most buyers simply ask their lawyer or gestor to request it as part of standard due diligence, typically for a modest additional fee on top of the registry cost

To request one, you will usually need at least one of the following: the property's CRU/IDUFIR (Unique Registration Code), its registry details (province, municipality, registry office, and plot or finca number), or the owner's full name and NIF/NIE. If you do not have any of these, the property can often still be located using its address via the...

Read more at thinkSpain.com

As the Mallorca property market moves through 2026, it has firmly transitioned from a post-pandemic boom into a mature, low-volatility era. Defined by strict planning constraints and geography, the island is the ultimate "supply-side" market. With approximately 32% of the Balearic Islands designated as protected land, genuine scarcity is driving the narrative. Buyers here are no longer just looking for a summer holiday home; they are investing in a safe, cosmopolitan Mediterranean lifestyle backed by rock-solid equity preservation.

The buyer profile in 2026 is highly international and increasingly focused on primary or dual residency. Foreign buyers account for roughly 34% of all property transactions in the Balearics. While Germans, the British, and Northern Europeans remain the dominant forces in the premium sectors, the market is seeing a surge in North American buyers drawn by expanding direct flight routes to Palma. This diversification insulates the island from single-nation economic downturns, cementing Mallorca as a tier-one global destination.

For the prospective buyer, the numbers reflect a robust market. While the 10-year picture shows nominal prices have risen nearly 97% since 2015, the outlook for 2026 predicts a sustainable, moderate growth of 3% to 5% overall, with luxury segments poised to grow by 5% to 8%. Buying real estate in Mallorca today is less about speculative flipping and more about securing a finite asset in Europe's most resilient island economy.

Where do most expats live in Mallorca?

The international community in Mallorca is vast and highly integrated. While expats can be found in almost every village, specific hubs offer the perfect blend of Mediterranean charm and year-round international amenities.

Santa Catalina (Palma)

Once a humble fishermen's quarter, Santa Catalina is now the beating heart of Palma’s international community, often compared to Soho or Greenwich Village for its creative energy, dining density, and gentrified transformation; aesthetically and culturally, it remains distinctly Mediterranean.

• Average cost (2026): €4,000 – €6,500/m².
• Housing style: Traditional two-storey townhouses with characteristic green shutters and beautifully renovated modernist apartments featuring exposed wooden beams.
• Lifestyle & buyer fit: It is the premier choice for digital nomads, young professionals, and yacht crew. Life revolves around the vibrant Mercat de Santa Catalina, highly walkable streets, and an endless array of international cafes and restaurants.

Portixol and El Molinar (Palma)

Just east of central Palma, these former fishing neighbourhoods have transformed into highly desirable waterfront enclaves.

• Average cost (2026): €3,500 – €5,000/m².
• Housing style: Predominantly low-rise architecture, featuring prime waterfront apartments and meticulously renovated fishermen's houses.
• Lifestyle & buyer fit: Perfect for those seeking a highly active outdoor lifestyle. The sweeping pedestrian and cycling promenades right on the Mediterranean make it a magnet for international residents wanting a relaxed seaside vibe without leaving the city.

Portals Nous & Bendinat (Southwest)

Located just 15 minutes west of Palma, this area is the quintessential luxury expat enclave, offering a manicured, resort-like atmosphere year-round.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

While Madrid, Barcelona, and the established coastal hotspots continue to dominate headlines, Granada has quietly become one of the more compelling property stories in Spain. Prices remain well below the national capitals, the market has moved from recovery into genuine momentum, and the city itself offers a quality of life that is difficult to match: a UNESCO World Heritage old town, the Alhambra, the Sierra Nevada on one side and the Mediterranean within reach on the other.

Granada's property market has outpaced Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga 

According to data from Spain's Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, Granada city is the provincial capital where home sales have risen the most compared with pre-2008 levels — the only major Spanish city where transaction volumes have not just recovered, but exceeded their pre-crisis peak. Over a recent 12-month period, the city recorded around 4,005 home sales, surpassing the levels last seen at the height of the 2006 boom.

This sets Granada apart. Madrid, Barcelona, and Málaga have all seen strong demand in recent years, but transaction volumes in each remain below their pre-crisis highs. Granada has moved into territory none of Spain's largest markets have reached — driven in part by buyers priced out of the bigger cities and drawn to a market that still offers genuine value.

Prices are rising fast, but remain well below Spain's major cities

Granada's affordability is real, but the market is not standing still. According to Tinsa's IMIE property valuation index, the average price of finished housing in Granada city reached €2,258/m² in the first quarter of 2026 — up 11.76% year on year. The wider province, where prices start from a lower base, rose even faster: €1,467/m², up 16.36% year on year. In practical terms, that puts a typical 90m² flat at around €203,000 in the city and roughly €132,000 across the province as a whole.

Tinsa's end-of-2025 report placed Granada among the fastest-growing provincial capitals in Spain, with annual growth of 14.1% — behind Madrid (20.9%) and Valencia (17.5%), but ahead of established coastal markets including Alicante and Santander. Even with that acceleration, Granada remains dramatically cheaper than Spain's largest cities: for buyers priced out of Madrid or Barcelona, it offers a major Spanish city with real heritage and infrastructure, still priced for accessibility.

What's driving demand in Granada

• A major university city

Granada is home to one of Spain's largest universities, with more than 60,000 students, researchers, and staff — the majority of whom rent. This creates a large, stable pool of rental demand with little dependence on tourism or seasonal cycles, giving the city a more diversified rental base than many purely coastal or resort markets.

• Heritage and quality of life

The Alhambra and the Albaicín, Granada's UNESCO-listed old quarter, draw visitors and international interest year-round. Combined with the Sierra Nevada — home to the southernmost ski resort in Europe — and the coast within roughly half an hour's drive, Granada offers a genuinely unusual mix of mountains, heritage, and sea access from a single base.

• Remote workers and international buyers

Granada's combination of lower living costs, strong infrastructure, and quality of life has increasingly attracted remote workers and international residents alongside its traditional academic and tourist base — a trend supporting demand for exactly the kind of well-located, mid-sized apartments that make up much of the city's housing stock.

What rental yields look like in Granada 

Granada's rental market is best understood as broad-based rather than headline-grabbing. Demand is spread across students, healthcare and public sector workers, young professionals, and a growing international contingent — a genuinely diversified tenant base rather than one dependent on a single group. This tends to produce steadier, more consistent occupancy than markets driven primarily by seasonal tourism, even where the numbers on paper look less dramatic than in Spain's highest-yield provincial markets.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

The average new mortgage in Spain has broken €178,000 for the first time on record, according to figures published by the National Statistics Institute (INE) on 26 August. It is the clearest sign yet that the cost of buying — and of financing that purchase — is climbing in step: house prices rose 15.2% in the year to the second quarter, and now the typical loan buyers are taking out to cover that cost has hit a new high alongside it.

The record amount arrived alongside a record in activity too. Spain signed 45,907 mortgages on homes in June — the strongest June since 2010, up 10.8% on the same month last year. That took the first half of 2026 to 259,681 new mortgages, 7% more than the same period in 2025 and the highest first-half total in 16 years. The capital lent by banks over that period rose even faster, up 17.5% year on year, reflecting both more mortgages and larger ones.

 Source: INE, Estadística de Hipotecas, monthly releases, January–June 2026

Interest rates are, for now, doing little to slow any of this down. The average rate on new mortgages has stayed below 3% through the first half of the year, keeping monthly repayments more manageable than the size of the loans alone would suggest — though a buyer borrowing today still needs a larger deposit and a bigger income to qualify than they would have a year or two ago, simply because both the properties and the mortgages against them cost more.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Spain's official house price index rose 12.2% in the year to the second quarter of 2026, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE) — a slightly slower pace than the 12.9% recorded in the first quarter, but the 49th consecutive quarter in which prices have risen on an annual basis. That streak stretches back roughly 12 years, making this one of the longest uninterrupted growth cycles in the index's history.

The moderation was driven mainly by new-build housing, where annual growth slowed sharply to 7.4% — down 1.7 percentage points on the previous quarter and the weakest new-build reading since the start of 2023. Resale property held up better, still rising 12.9% year on year, only slightly down from 13.5% in the first quarter. Prices did not stand still in the meantime, either: the index rose 3.4% compared with the previous quarter alone, with resale accounting for most of that (+3.7%) against a much more modest 1.0% rise in new-build prices.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Spanish house prices held flat in August compared with July — the first month without further acceleration after a run of consecutive quarterly increases — according to valuation firm Tinsa. Prices are still up 14.9% on a year earlier, some 10 percentage points above inflation, but the pause in month-on-month growth is the clearest sign yet that the pace seen through the first half of the year — which peaked at 15.2% annual growth in the second quarter — may be starting to level off.

The slowdown was not even across the country. It was sharpest in the islands and in capital and large cities — precisely the areas where prices and buying effort are already most stretched, according to Tinsa's research director, Cristina Arias. Island prices fell 0.9% in August alone, the steepest monthly drop of any region tracked.

Coastal and metropolitan markets told a different story. The Mediterranean coast and metropolitan areas both recorded annual growth of 17.4% in August — comfortably the fastest of any category Tinsa tracks, and well ahead of the 10.2% recorded in smaller municipalities. Even as the market as a whole shows its first signs of catching its breath, the areas most popular with international buyers are still the ones moving fastest.

Arias pointed to a squeeze on household purchasing power as a factor behind the broader slowdown, linking it in part to inflation stemming from the conflict in the Middle East, alongside higher interest rates and continued difficulty accessing housing. Transaction and mortgage volumes moderated in the first half of the year as a result, though both remain above their historical average.

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

Spain's property market has moved quickly over the past couple of years, with national prices rising faster than at almost any point in the past two decades. It is fair to ask whether the classic idea of a Spanish home for under €100,000 still holds up in 2026. The honest answer is yes — but it looks a little different than it might have five years ago. These days, a budget under €100,000 usually means a smaller property, a location a little further from the coast, or a home that could use some love. It does not mean giving up on sunshine, sea air, or a genuine Spanish lifestyle.

Small and coastal: studios and one-beds by the sea

If being near the beach matters more than square metres, the southern Costa Blanca remains one of the most reliable places to look. In Torrevieja, studios and compact one-bedroom apartments — many within easy walking distance of the beach or the town's lively promenade — are consistently available under €100,000, and the town has one of the largest, most established international communities on the coast.

Along the Costa Cálida in Murcia, similar value can be found around the Mar Menor, where smaller apartments close to the water are still realistic on this budget. Further south, the Costa de Almería offers some of the best value of any Mediterranean coastline in Spain, with older but perfectly liveable apartments in and around towns like Mojácar and Vera regularly listed under this budget.

More space inland: full-size homes for the same budget

Moving away from the coast changes the maths considerably. Inland provinces such as Jaén and Ciudad Real have some of the lowest property prices anywhere in mainland Spain, and a €100,000 budget stretches to a genuinely spacious home rather than a studio. According to Tinsa's property price index, the province of Ciudad Real averages under €850 per square metre — meaning a full 100m² house, with a garden or terrace, comfortably fits within a €100,000 budget in many of its towns. Jaén province is similarly affordable.

This is Spain at its most authentic — small-town life, close-knit communities, and a slower pace, without the tourist infrastructure of the coast. It suits buyers who want genuine immersion in Spanish life, or who are happy to be a scenic drive from the beach rather than a walk from it.

Renovation projects: the best way to stretch your budget further

A willingness to renovate is still one of the most effective ways to buy under €100,000 almost anywhere in Spain, coast included. Older townhouses and village properties — sound structurally, but in need of a new kitchen, bathroom, or a lick of paint — routinely sell well below the price of an equivalent move-in-ready home. Many of the classic Spanish village houses that come up for sale already have the essentials in place, water, electricity, and a solid roof, which keeps renovation costs predictable rather than a leap into the unknown. For a buyer with some patience and a clear budget for the work, this route often produces the best possible value for money in Spain's current market.

Check out our selection of properties for sale in Spain for under €100,000. 

For Italian buyers in particular, Spain and Italy are natural points of comparison — two Mediterranean countries with similar climates, comparable culture and cuisine, and a shared appeal as a place to buy a second home or relocate to. But the two property markets work quite differently in practice, from how taxes are calculated to how the buying process itself unfolds. This guide compares them honestly, covering what each country genuinely does well, so you can make the decision with a clear picture of both.

Property prices in Spain vs Italy

Neither country is uniformly cheaper than the other — both have expensive capitals and coastal hotspots alongside genuinely affordable regions. Milan, Rome, and the Amalfi Coast command prices comparable to Madrid, Barcelona, or Marbella. But where Spain tends to have an edge for the specific profile of buyer looking at this comparison — a second home or relocation on the coast — is the breadth of accessible, well-connected coastal inventory at moderate prices. Spain's Mediterranean coastline offers a far larger stock of modern, move-in-ready apartments and villas in established international communities, at price points that remain accessible even close to the sea, particularly along the Costa Blanca and parts of the Costa del Sol.

Italy's equivalent value is found more often inland or in the south — Puglia, Calabria, Sicily — where prices can be very low, but the property stock is older, renovation needs are often significant, and English or Italian-speaking international infrastructure is considerably thinner than on Spain's established coasts.

Purchase taxes in Spain Vs Italy

This is the area buyers most often misunderstand, because the two countries calculate tax on different bases entirely.

Spain

For a resale property, Spain applies transfer tax (ITP) directly to the purchase price — generally 6% to 10%, depending on the autonomous community. For a new build bought from a developer, VAT (IVA) applies instead, at a flat 10%, plus stamp duty (AJD) of roughly 0.5% to 1.5%. All-in closing costs for a resale in Spain — taxes, notary, registry, and legal fees — typically land between 10% and 14% of the purchase price. The full breakdown of Spanish property taxes covers regional variations in more detail.

Italy

For a resale property bought from a private seller, Italy applies registration tax (imposta di registro) of 9% for a second home — but crucially, this is calculated on the property's cadastral value (valore catastale), not the market price. Cadastral values are typically 30% to 50% lower than what a property actually sells for, so the effective tax burden on the real purchase price often works out to roughly 5% to 7% — lower than the headline rate suggests. A reduced 2% rate applies to a primary residence, but this requires transferring official residency to the property's municipality within 18 months, a condition most non-resident second-home buyers do not meet. New builds from a developer attract VAT instead, at 10% (4% for qualifying primary residences, 22% for luxury categories), on the sale price rather than cadastral value.

The practical difference

Once notary fees, agency commission, and legal costs are added on both sides, total closing costs in Italy for a non-resident buying a second home typically also land in the 10% to 15% range — broadly comparable to Spain once all costs are accounted for. The genuine difference is less about which country is cheaper overall, and more about predictability: Spain's tax is calculated on what you actually paid, which is simple to budget for in advance...

Read more at thinkSPAIN.com

If you have spent any time living in or travelling across Spain over the past few weeks, you haven't needed a thermometer to tell you something extraordinary is happening. The sheer weight of the heat has felt inescapable—a suffocating blanket settling over the peninsula, pushing air conditioning units to their absolute limits and turning rural landscapes into powder-dry tinderboxes.

According to data released by Spain’s State Meteorological Agency (AEMET), July has officially tied with 2022 as the hottest July on record since modern meteorological records began in the mid-20th century. With an average daily temperature soaring to 25.7°C—a punishing 2.6°C higher than the historical baseline—this summer has unleashed a relentless succession of heatwaves that have tragically triggered some of the most destructive wildfires in modern Spanish history.

The Dangerous Formula: Weather Whiplash and Megafires

The unprecedented wave of forest fires scorching over 150,000 hectares across regions like Madrid, Ávila, Toledo, Guadalajara, and Castellón is not just bad luck. Climate scientists and international attribution groups point to a dangerous meteorological phenomenon known as "weather whiplash."

• The Wet Winter: Spain kicked off the year with unusually heavy rainfall and wet winter conditions, encouraging massive bursts of spring vegetation growth.

• The Sudden Drought: That lush green growth was followed by an exceptionally dry spring and an early, brutal onslaught of summer heatwaves.

• The Perfect Fuel: The heavy vegetation rapidly withered and died, creating vast layers of hyper-flammable fuel across the countryside. When combined with July's record-shattering temperatures, international scientific studies show that these extreme fire-weather conditions were made at least 20 times more likely due to human-induced global warming.

The Human Toll and National Emergency

For the first time in modern Spanish history, the severity of the blazes forced the central government to declare a state of emergency of national interest across parts of Madrid and Ávila as massive fires threatened urban perimeters, forced tens of thousands of evacuations, and blanketed major cities in hazardous smoke.

What This Means for Long-Term Residents and Property Owners

For British expats and property owners living in Spain—particularly those in rural, semi-rural, or urbanización settings bordering pine forests and dry scrubland—the summer of 2026 serves as an urgent wake-up call regarding fire safety and property infrastructure.

EOS Insider Pro-Tip: If your Spanish home is located near wooded areas or dry fields, you must treat fire prevention as an absolute priority. Ensure your property has a cleared defensible perimeter (at least 10 to 15 metres of cleared vegetation away from structures), check that your gutters are free of dry pine needles, and familiarise yourself immediately with local municipal evacuation protocols. When local authorities issue red-flag high-risk fire warnings, compliance with outdoor restrictions (such as banning heavy machinery use or charcoal barbecues) is a matter of life and death.

Join the EOS Community Discussion

As Spain confronts a rapidly changing climate, the reality of living through these intense summer heatwaves and wildfire crises affects every corner of our community—from rural homeowners to urban dwellers dealing with poor air quality.

How has your local area coped with this record-breaking summer heat? Have you had to alter your travel plans or take special precautions around your home? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below.