An optimistic outlook for landlords in Spain

Last updated on October 28th, 2019 at 05:07 pm.

Letting property in Spain can be a safe option.  However, our lawyers at Ábaco are well aware of the issues to do with paper work and legal regulations that can appear so obstructive to the course of justice.

Systems in any country can be slow to change and we do our best to evoke the laws that exist to protect your interests. Changes are happening, however. Little by little successive governments have become increasingly aware of the depth of the problem, particularly in relation to safeguarding the rights of the landlord.

So what has changed that means landlords in Spain should feel so optimistic? An increasing landlord-friendly legal system now means that there is:

• A quick response when problems emerge – When we act on behalf of a landlord we can now put the process in motion much more quickly – the tenant can be summoned to settle the arrears within 10 days and if we hear nothing then a date can be set for the trial and even a date for eviction if it comes to that.
• More power to take action – If the rental contract is registered in the Land Registry and the tenant does not respond in 10 days, the contract can be cancelled and the record in the Registry is cancelled too.
• More control over the tenant’s continuing occupancy – measures are now in place to prevent the tenant from simply settling the rent debt on the day of the court hearing and being allowed to stay on in your property.
• Help with evictions – If your tenant continues not to answer or settle the charge then they can be evicted from the property with the help of the local police.
• Dedicated court time to settle problems – the courts now have dedicated time in which to hear these cases. The landlord no longer finds himself in a never-ending queue of complainants.

So, things are looking up for the landlord. Rather than delivering bad news about lengthy delays and impossible hurdles, our lawyers can now encourage those frustrated by bad tenants in Spain to come forward and apply to the courts for help.