Apartments for Sale
There are no Leasehold properties in Spain (unlike the UK). If you buy an apartment in Spain you obtain a Deed (called an Escitura) as you would if you were buying a house or villa. All apartment owners within a block then usually form a committee with annual meetings and appoint a President and Vice-President from amongst the owners to liaise with any managing agents and take the lead on management issues. If you buy an apartment within a block, all owners are charged a yearly Communidad fee for items such as lift and pool maintenance, gardeners, concierges, common area lighting, etc.
Bear this in mind when buying a property and remember to ask what the average Communidad charges are on any property in which you are interested. Obviously, some years will be more expensive than others (for example, when external and common area redecoration is planned) but you need to factor average annual charges into your prospective overheads. Each apartment complex (“Edificio”) has its own rules and regulations. For example, satellite dishes in many Edificios are not allowed on balconies (as they look untidy) and the community usually decides to have one installed in the roof area for the use of all apartments and everybody shares the costs.
If you buy an apartment, ask your neighbours and find out who the building’s President is, then not only can you ascertain what restrictions (if any) apply, but you also know which door to knock at if there are any problems (such as common area lighting not functioning) within the building. The same community principles usually apply if you buy a house within a modern urbanization.
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