Britons' plans to move to Spain have been scuppered by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's announcement of plans to ban property purchases from outside the bloc, with Brexit being blamed.
“I propose that non-resident non-EU foreigners and their relatives be prohibited from buying houses in our country, because they are only buying houses for speculative purposes,” Sanchez said. He said that he wanted to understand the spiral of housing issues. Prices in Spain.
Mr Sanchez revealed that of the approximately 700,000 homes bought and sold each year in Spain, around 27,000 are owned by non-EU residents, with UK buyers leading the way with nearly 10%. did.
Now, a group supporting Britons in Spain has revealed that Brexit is the reason Britons' hopes of moving to warmer climates have been thwarted.
“Many low-income Britons who had hopes of retiring on the Costa Islands have already had their dreams dashed[by Brexit],” said Sue Wilson, head of Bremain in Spain, which has 6,000 members. told the Times.
“These new measures, assuming they are passed by Parliament, will only increase the barriers you face in Europe as a non-EU national.”
Last year, tens of thousands of local residents took to the streets several times in many of the country's tourist hotspots, from Barcelona to Malaga to the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands, to protest the current tourism model and force governments to stop it. requested. The growing affordable housing crisis.
Tens of thousands of people protested in Barcelona in November over rising apartment rental prices in an area that has become a popular tourist destination. They held up signs that read, “Less investment apartments, more residential housing.”
Spanish landlords are now choosing short-term rentals to tourists rather than long-term rentals to locals, as they can earn more income.
However, the Spanish government is working to limit short-term rentals. Tourism Minister Jordi Heleu recently said that the Spanish government is working to disperse the influx of tourists, citing the ongoing establishment of rules and restrictions on the supply of tourist rental accommodation.
Many of the southern European country's popular destinations are taking action against short-term rentals, with Barcelona closing all accommodations, including Airbnb, by 2028 to protect locals from rising housing costs. I plan to.
On January 13, Mr Sanchez announced a proposal to make property taxes for non-EU citizens in Spain equal to 100% of the value of their home.
“In 2023 alone, non-residents from outside the European Union bought 27,000 houses and apartments, mainly for speculation, not for living in,” he said. We cannot afford it because we are facing scarcity. ”
