renting holiday lets for income

RayD,

Thanks for your comments. I will take a look at the material you refer to (impressive complication indeed!!).

This information also gives me specific questions to ask and check when I see property. I do see a lot of fully renovated ensuite rooms/apartments  in the internet, and it did not occur to me that an actual bath is required.  Good info.

Cheers, Eric

Hello Eric, I agree with everything that Ray has said as you cannot rely on the estate agent's responses to your questions. Take a tape measure with you , I think from memory that DaveBev1's guides give all room sizes and this is not something the authorities are budging on at the moment.
If you are interested in a property the Ayuntamiento are the only ones who are in a position to say if a licence will be granted and if you get to this stage it may also be worthwhile asking if they are reaching their limits on the number of lets being deemed compatible. An interpreter could help if you don't speak Spanish and at about €20 per hour are not expensive. It doesn't matter if the estate agent tells you that plenty of adjacent properties are holiday lets as they may have been licensed before June 2018, the community may no longer allow new lets, may now charge increased community fees for new lets or the Ayuntamiento may have decided the limit has been reached.
You cannot even advertise the property until the licence is in place so you will need to account for the first year with no income and post Brexit your non-resident tax will increase, again, from memory, I'm sure I read that non-residents will not be able to claim any expenses against tax which is in the region of 24%. Sorry I can't be confident on this but it gives you a pointer to research further if nobody else can be more specific just in case I have picked up on fake news!

Once set up, according to previous posts, properties are often fully booked for the season.

Just to clarify - a bathroom does not need a bath, just a shower is ok, but (unless you can get an exemption from your local Town Hall) the main bathroom must be at least 4.5m2, which can be an problem.  There are estate agents who are finally getting to grips with the regulations on holiday lets but most still haven't (and nor have the TV programs!!!) so you will need to cross check whatever they say with the regulations.

If you are looking at a rental investment then long-term rentals may be better for you to consider - regular monthly income all year round.  And you don't have to wait for a license to start renting.  Use an independent lawyer for your purchase and always use a proper rental contract.  The laws in Spain are different to those in the UK and generally viewed as being weighted in favour of the tenant, so do ask a lot of questions about your rights as a landlord before committing to anything.

Thanks all, helpful information. Especially the wait to expect before we can get income. I am making my way through the links you all recommended. We will be looking at properties soon (today!!) so all these comments are important things to keep in mind. And, at least there is a lot of information in English!!!

Eric

Hi...Please be aware that you do need a licence for renting out your property; it is one of the things that the government are tightening up on. You will need to declare your income to your accountant too. I have a friend who rents a house out without an agent and both lots of tenants did a " runner" owing a lot of money. So perhaps it is worth using a letting agent in the area you favour.....they should give you all the info. you need. Hoping all goes well with it all and you enjoy having the extra income.

Hi Angie,

Good info to be aware of and will consider an agency. By chance did your friend live in or nearby the property she rented? 

The best option is to manage the holiday rentals yourself and use a keyholder/cleaner for the meet and greet, cleans, property checks and to be on call.  No one can 'do a runner' with your rental or key deposit if it is collected in advance by you.  However if  Angie's friend was letting long-term then obviously it is possible for tenants to default on monthly rental payments and then do a moonlight flit owing money sadly.  Always use a contract.  Some of the holiday let web sites will collect the rental in advance on your behalf but then withhold it from the owner until after the guest has arrived at the property, but others allow advance payments to the owner once the rental has been received from the holiday maker or for the owner to collect the rental direct.  Never do 'cash on arrival'.

Other helpful sites for information are:   Jim's Guides - on this site.

                                                               Citizens Advice Bureau Spain - website for general and bureaucratic information.

                                                               N332 - Facebook page and website for anything to do with driving in Spain.

Just bear in mind that once the UK has left the EU many of the rules and regulations in each of these sites will change for UK citizens.   Also, many national Spanish rules and regulations are 'tweeked' by provinces and/or towns for their own procedures.

It is nit compulsory for a bathroom to have a bath a shower is acceptable.