The housing emergency runs through Spain and countless public administrations are taking measures to improve access to housing, especially among young people.
One of the actions that could alleviate the shortage of flats is the rental of the thousands of flats that are empty throughout the Spanish geography.
In the Gipuzkoan town of Azpeitia they are going to start charging the owners of empty flats who intend to keep them in that state, an annual fee of 10 euros per square meter.
The measure is endorsed by the Basque Housing Law of 2015, but no consistory of the autonomous community had applied it until now.
Before the introduction of the fee, the owners of empty houses had to pay 150% of IBI. Now that they will have to pay the fee, that supplement of 50% extra in the IBI is eliminated.
First of all, the Azpeitia City Council is sending letters these days to all the owners of homes that, according to their consumption of water and electricity, have been classified as empty.
“The first to receive the communications will be the owners of the newest homes and those with elevators. From here they will have a month to go to the Housing Office and analyze the situation of their houses and the possibilities of commercialization”, explained Nagore Alkorta, mayor of the town.
Those who decide to keep their houses empty will have to pay an annual fee of 10 euros per square meter, to which an increase of 10% per year will be applied in the following years.