Lloguer Segur Insurance Company conducted a study according to which of the 26 million apartments in Spain, there are about 3.4 million vacant apartments. For example, the maintaining cost of an apartment in Barcelona, which is not used for its intended purpose, is not less than €200 per month or €2,400 per year.
The most onerous is the cost of electricity, water, taxes on property ownership (IBI), insurance and mortgage services. But even such significant expenses do not encourage owners of idle apartments to lease them. This leads to a lack of competition in the market and to higher rents.
The authorities of Catalonia are looking for a way to increase the market supply of rental housing. One of the arguments is the introduction of the tax, which will be subject to the banks which owe too many objects seized for non-payment. Also, this tax will affect the construction companies that were not able to sell the house for a period of two years after its construction.
Santi Vila, Advisor to the Government of Catalonia on land management, said that the tax is introduced not for complication of a difficult situation, but for the sake of increasing the supply of rental housing.
In the first place by the number of empty apartments is the capital of Spain - Madrid, on the second - Barcelona.