Looking after your Spanish home when you live abroad

Terms used

• Domiciliación — Domiciliación is a direct debit: your bank pays a regular bill automatically from your account.
• IBI — The IBI is the yearly local property tax paid by the owner.
• NIE — The NIE is the foreigner identification number used for tax and banking in Spain.
• IBAN — The IBAN is the international bank account number; a Spanish IBAN starts with ES.
• Catastro — The Catastro is Spain's property register, which holds the owner's address for tax notices.
• Modelo 900D — Modelo 900D is the form used to report a change of owner details or address to the Catastro.

Key rules

• Spanish account: A Spanish bank account is not required by law, but many suppliers and some town halls accept only a Spanish IBAN.
• Notice address: As a non-resident you must give an address in Spain for notices or name a representative, or the property address may be used.
• Delivered notices: A notice sent to your stated address counts as delivered even if you never read it.
• Key holder: Give your key holder written authorisation naming who may enter.
• Visits: Plan a visit every two to four weeks, and more in storm season.

What you need in place

A home you cannot see needs four things: a Spanish bank account, an address where official notices reach you, someone local with a key, and a routine of checks. With these, bills do not go unpaid, letters do not pile up and small problems do not become big ones. The checklist below covers the paperwork steps.

A Spanish bank account

No law requires a Spanish account, but it makes life much easier. Electricity, water, gas, IBI, the waste charge, community fees and home insurance are normally paid by domiciliación. Many suppliers and some town halls accept only a Spanish IBAN, and some give a discount for direct debit. You can open an account as a non-resident with your NIE.

Without an account, you can still pay IBI at a bank with the payment slip, online with a foreign card, or by transfer from abroad. Some suppliers accept foreign SEPA direct debits. Others ask for a Spanish representative or local payer.

Where your notices go

Tax notices for IBI go to the address you gave the Catastro or your town hall. As a non-resident, you must give an address in Spain for notices or name a representative. If you do not, the administration may use the property's address.

A notice sent to the property or to your stated address counts as delivered, even if you never see it. If delivery fails, it can be published in an official bulletin, and that also counts as notification. So keep your address up to date with both the Catastro (using Modelo 900D) and your town hall. Electronic notification through the town hall's online office means notices reach you wherever you are.

A key holder or a manager

Choose someone who can reach the home quickly. This may be a neighbour or friend, or a paid caretaker or property manager. They hold a spare set of keys and let in tradespeople, deliveries, alarm call-outs and visitors. They often check the home now and then too.

• Give them written authorisation naming who may enter.
• Give them contact details for the community president and your insurer.
• Check that your policy does not require regular inspections of an empty home or limit cover when it is unoccupied.
• If you have an alarm company, tell them who the key holder is.
• Make sure the key holder does not take on liability for the home.

Home-checking services are usually sold as a monthly or fortnightly visit with a report and photos. They cost less than full management. Full management adds bill payment, repairs and key holding, and is priced as a monthly fee or a percentage of any rental income. Prices vary a lot by region and are higher on the coast and islands. Get several quotes from local providers, and compare visit frequency, property size and extras such as cleaning and pool care.

Staying in touch with the community

Send the community secretary an address for notices in writing, and ask the administrator for their contact details. Share your email and phone number. This way you hear about fee changes, special levies and meetings before they become debts.

A routine for an empty home

Plan a visit every two to four weeks, and more often in storm season. The timeline below lists what to check and what to switch off. Pay particular attention to damp and drains after heavy rain, and clear the letterbox on every visit, because official notices can arrive there.

Timeline and deadlines

• Check your insurance for clauses on regular inspections or limited cover for an unoccupied home: Before you leave the home empty

• Visit or arrange a visit to check for leaks, damp, mould, mail, drains, pool, garden, alarm battery and pests: Every 2 to 4 weeks

• Add extra visits, especially to check for damp and drains after rain: More often in storm season

Set up your owner paperwork and payments from abroad

• Open a Spanish bank account with your NIE, so bills can be paid by direct debit (domiciliación).

• Ask your town hall or its collecting agency whether it accepts a foreign IBAN for IBI direct debit. If it does not, use your Spanish account, pay at a Spanish bank with the bill's payment slip, or pay online by card or bank transfer.

• Give the Catastro (the property register) and your town hall an address for notices, and keep it up to date. If you give none, notices may go to the property itself.

• Sign up for electronic notifications through the municipality's online office, so tax notices reach you wherever you are.

• Send the community secretary an address in Spain for notices, in writing. If you do not, your own unit counts as that address and notices posted on the community noticeboard are valid.

• Get the community administrator's contact details and share your email and phone number with them.

• Decide whether to name a local representative in Spain to receive notices for you. It is not a legal duty for IBI, but it is a safe way to avoid missing a notice.

Frequently asked questions

Does my key holder need written permission to enter my home?

Yes, you should give your key holder written authorisation naming who may enter the home. Check that your insurance policy names them for alarm call-outs. Make sure they do not take on any liability for the property.

What should I give my key holder besides the keys?

Give your key holder the contact details for the community president and for your insurer. That way they can act quickly if there is a leak, an alarm or a problem in the building.

How much does a home-checking or property management service cost?

Prices vary a lot by region and provider, and they are higher on the costa and in the islands.

What happens if a tax notice cannot be delivered to me abroad?

If delivery fails, the notice may be published in an official bulletin, and that counts as valid notification. Keep your address updated with the Catastro (the property register, using Modelo 900D) and your town hall so notices reach you.