this post was submitted on 14 Jan 2025
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The measure was one of a dozen unveiled on Monday by the country’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, as the government seeks to quell mounting anger over housing costs that have soared far beyond the reach of many in Spain.

Sánchez sought to underline the global nature of the challenge, citing housing prices that had swelled 48% in the past decade across Europe, far outpacing household incomes.

“The west faces a decisive challenge: to not become a society divided into two classes, the rich landlords and poor tenants,” he told an economic forum in Madrid.

The proposed measures include expanding the supply of social housing, offering incentives to those who renovate and rent out empty properties at affordable prices and cracking down on seasonal rentals. In Spain just 2.5% of housing is set aside for social housing, a figure that lags drastically behind countries such as France and the Netherlands, said Sánchez.

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[–] atro_city@fedia.io 90 points 11 months ago (5 children)

Just make it so the dwelling has to be occupied by the owner for 9-10 months a year. Every month it is unoccupied, the owner has to pay the value of a monthly rent as tax multiplied by the number of months it has been unoccupied -->

month 1 = rent x 1 month 2 = rent x 2 month 3 = rent x 3

I think that'll be hard to ignore for most landlords - foreign or not.

[–] fine_sandy_bottom@discuss.tchncs.de 32 points 11 months ago (13 children)

How do you confirm whether the property is occupied?

[–] atro_city@fedia.io 7 points 11 months ago (2 children)

How does the state know which house you occupy / where you live?

They do not.

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[–] scarabic@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Occupancy is hard to monitor and easy to fake though. Purchases are impossible to miss and are a single point of enforcement as opposed to an ongoing burden like you’re suggesting. Though I do appreciate the spirit of your plan.

[–] overload@sopuli.xyz 4 points 11 months ago

Brutal, I love it

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[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 46 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I'd have assumed that the majority of landlords were EU citizens... then remembered about Brexit.

That'll upset the brexiters, and they'll howl about the mean Spanish government...

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 37 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

I remember back during the Leave Referendum that many Briton pensioners living in Spain voted Leave "To keep the Spaniards from entering 'our' country" and later were very suprised that they themselves were also impacted and had to apply to live in Spain (and apparently after the end of the transition period some even got expelled from Spain because they couldn't be arsed to register and became illegal immigrants).

[–] sensiblepuffin@lemmy.world 36 points 11 months ago (2 children)

That is the most Brexit thing I've ever heard. The audacity to complain about the Spanish in your country while the British loudly and palely swarm Spain every summer.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Yeah, I was an EU immigrant in Britain at the time and the Delusions Of Grandeur of the locals were really placed in sharp relief and some of those were pretty shocking. These were especially bad for the Brexiters but for example many Remainers claimed that the UK should "Stay in the EU and shape it from the inside" (so a "we Britons know best than the rest" view, and remember that the Leave Referendum happenned after the UK Government demanded from the EU, once again, even more special treatment and was told "No").

In Britain the mindset that led to Brexit had been heavilly pushed by the Press and Politicians for decades, so this outcome wasn't totally unexpected. In fact I only know about Britons being expelled from Spain after the end of the transition period since they didn't register, because some British newspapers which had supported Brexit published outraged pieces about how Spain was expelling Britons), so even after the whole Brexit thing was done, at least part of the Press still pushed (and Britons still believed) the whole idea that Britons should have special treatment even whilst not reciprocating it.

As I see it Britain and Britons are suffering from one hell of a post-Imperial Hangover, which makes it very problematic for them to cooperate with other nations in any format other than "purelly competitive and always trying to gain an advantage over others", so they were always the odd one out in the EU and, frankly, De Gaule was right when way back he did not want to let the UK into the EU.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 6 points 11 months ago

post-Imperial Hangover

LOL 100%

[–] Blackmist@feddit.uk 3 points 11 months ago

Tbf, most of the complaining was about Poles and Romanians.

Mostly because they were the lower income additions to the EU, and the absolute poverty wages being paid in the UK farming and construction industries would have seemed like a fair deal to them.

Oh and this cunt who convinced his empty headed followers that millions of Muslims would be coming here under EU rules from famous EU member, Syria.

[–] JoeKrogan@lemmy.world 37 points 11 months ago (1 children)

I agree with the measures I hope they address companies doing it too as it could be a loophole.

We were thinking about a move to Spain soon and in years to come possibly renting out the home we buy and live in South America to be closer to family.

I imagine in this case , as a non EU resident despite being an EU citizen the tax would apply.

[–] frank@sopuli.xyz 8 points 11 months ago

I'd guess so, and that makes sense to limit the people wealthy enough to buy property and not live in Spain

Not saying you're a rich landlord

[–] los_chill@programming.dev 27 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Can we get this in Washington State please.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 3 points 11 months ago

Spotted the savvy European investor.

[–] mrhenry77@lemmy.world 26 points 11 months ago (2 children)

we need this in berlin too

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[–] Critical_Thinker@lemm.ee 25 points 11 months ago (5 children)

I hope there is an exemption for people buying houses that they reside in full time. This type of policy is incredibly anti-immigrant otherwise.

[–] hungryphrog@lemmy.blahaj.zone 15 points 11 months ago

Yeah, that's what I thought too. But also it says "resident" so I guess you don't have to be a citizen to buy a house?

[–] Korrok@lemmy.blahaj.zone 14 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)
[–] tb_@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You can rent for some time until you have your residency solved/accepted.

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[–] fushuan@lemm.ee 5 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (5 children)

Non-EU residents. Right there in the title. If you are residing in Spain then you are a de facto EU resident.

Ffs.

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[–] Kecessa@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 months ago (3 children)

At some point you wonder, why not just prevent them from owning homes if they're not citizens? Kick em out and tell them to come back when they're EU citizens, problem solved.

[–] TranscendentalEmpire@lemm.ee 14 points 11 months ago (12 children)

At some point you wonder, why not just prevent them from owning homes if they're not citizens?

Money. Foreign investment also appreciates the value of domestic property owners as well. Aka fuck you I got mine syndrome.

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[–] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Do that there, do that here, Do that everywhere. Better for you and me, From see to sea.

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