Thousands Of Brits With Holiday Homes In Spain And France May Be Banned From Renting Them Out To Tourists

[The Masked Tulip]

Only 'thousands of Brits'?

Thousands of Brits with holiday homes in Spain and France may be banned from renting them out to tourists

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2523474/Brits-holiday-homes-Spain-France-banned-renting-tourists.html#ixzz2nOtQcloS

 

[The Knimbies who say No]

Only 'thousands of Brits'?

Thousands of Brits with holiday homes in Spain and France may be banned from renting them out to tourists

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2523474/Brits-holiday-homes-Spain-France-banned-renting-tourists.html#ixzz2nOtQcloS

 

Doubtless similar to the idea that residential mortgage owners cannot rent out their properties...

I wonder what fracion of French/Spanish tourism from UK citizens is derived from letting out disastrous foreign BTL/holiday homes?

[The Masked Tulip]

Doubtless similar to the idea that residential mortgage owners cannot rent out their properties...

I wonder what fracion of French/Spanish tourism from UK citizens is derived from letting out disastrous foreign BTL/holiday homes?

Yes, and how Spanish and French tourism properties are losing out to Brits who pay no taxes on monies made from renting to other Brits.

Imagine being a Spanish small hotel owner paying local taxes, getting the required permits, paying insurances, etc, and having to compete with a bunch of Brit second home owners who pay none of those.

[The Knimbies who say No]

Yes, and how Spanish and French tourism properties are losing out to Brits who pay no taxes on monies made from renting to other Brits.

Imagine being a Spanish small hotel owner paying local taxes, getting the required permits, paying insurances, etc, and having to compete with a bunch of Brit second home owners who pay none of those.

Quite. Makes you wonder how often it happens here too.

[blobloblob]

When in Rome blah blah...

People often criticise British expats in Spain for not adopting local customs, Spain has one of the largest black economies in Europe so maybe landlords should try fit in with the locals' way of life more, and just take cash payments in the UK from people they 'make friends' with. Maybe sell their 'friends' a second hand TV or vacuum cleaner for £1500. They're not living in their Spanish villa/apartment all year round, so why not let their mates stay there for free some time?

Edited December 14, 2013 by blobloblob

[Ah-so]

When in Rome blah blah...

People often criticise British expats in Spain for not adopting local customs, Spain has one of the largest black economies in Europe so maybe landlords should try fit in with the locals' way of life more, and just take cash payments in the UK from people they 'make friends' with. Maybe sell their 'friends' a second hand TV or vacuum cleaner for £1500. They're not living in their Spanish villa/apartment all year round, so why not let their mates stay there for free some time?

Letting people stay at your house without a contract is too dangerous. It may be impossible to evict them.

[Mrs Bear]

Letting people stay at your house without a contract is too dangerous. It may be impossible to evict them.

Since we were living in the Middle East for several years we rented our house out via an agent, who took a fairly hefty cut. We were so often told we were mad by others who were renting to friends/family on an informal basis and not paying any agent's percentage. Almost without exception these people had problems later, the 'friends' or family either trashing the place or refusing to leave when the owners were due to go home.

One friend got his brother in law to manage the letting of his London house and make the mortgage payments, etc. He later found that the BIL had not rented it out, had installed his mistress in it and had not made any mortgage payments at all. The bloke came home with young family in tow to find the place about to be repossessed.

[StainlessSteelCat]

Quite. Makes you wonder how often it happens here too.

Yes, one is a hot sunny country with beautiful friendly women where you can holiday on the cheap in a friend's villa, and the other is Britain.

I can't imagine it being a massive draw for the average Spaniard somehow.

Edited December 14, 2013 by StainlessSteelCat

[richc]

The description of the new regulations in France is a bit overblown. Paris is just following New York where they're trying to prevent residential property from being turned into hotels via AirBnB. Outside of Paris or a few other spots, where there are plenty of hotels and a shortage of residential property, this would cause an uprising amongst the locals.

[Democorruptcy]

Travelers will no longer be able to pay cheap rates direct to owners, but will have to stay in apartments, hotels of villas operated by major firms

What a surprise. Big businesses bribes lobbies governments to divert money their way. We cannot have the public living cheaply when there is a way to make them pay more.

I keep thinking about a motorhome.

[The Ayatollah Buggeri]

This is shocking. They will need a LICENCE. They have to be CONTACTABLE to deal with emergencies, they need to be SAFE... AND they have to be CLEAN. Whatever next. Fascists. Commies.

That was my reaction when I read the story, too. Do you remember that accident a few years ago when an entire family were monoxide-gassed in a holiday let in Greece? There was no legal requirement to get the boiler serviced, and the rest was (rather grizzly) history. If I understand the substance of the Wail's story correctly, the French and Spanish authorities are simply telling homeowners who let to tourists that they have to be properly maintained and safe, and that a big enough problem now exists to justify some regulation. As long as the regulation isn't overkill and they don't charge more for the licences than it costs to opeate, I don't see any problem.

[justthisbloke]

This is true rent seeking; citing consumer protection or health & safety to justify a licenced market dominant position.

Private owners with airbnb being shut out of the business.

Edited December 14, 2013 by justthisbloke

[winkie]

What about letting family and friends stay there for free.....like saying I can't lend my lawnmower to a friend or I can't drive my family to the station in my car.....nuts.

[blobloblob]

What about letting family and friends stay there for free.....like saying I can't lend my lawnmower to a friend or I can't drive my family to the station in my car.....nuts.

First they came for the etc.

[SarahBell]

What about letting family and friends stay there for free.....like saying I can't lend my lawnmower to a friend or I can't drive my family to the station in my car.....nuts.

You have a duty of care.

Same as if you let friends stay in your house for free for a few months.

You are in loco landlordis.

[winkie]

You have a duty of care.

Same as if you let friends stay in your house for free for a few months.

You are in loco landlordis.

.....no I don't understand......TPTB want us to rent stuff for money then they can take a cut.....if I lend my sister my dress I have worked for and paid taxes on and am not using it, but I lend it to her to wear for free thus saving her money having to buy her own dress....she wins and I win, I can now feel in future I might want to borrow one of her dresses for the day.....what has that got to do with duty of care> that is a free market to lend and borrow without involving tickets or tokens, only good free will.

[SarahBell]

.....no I don't understand......TPTB want us to rent stuff for money then they can take a cut.....if I lend my sister my dress I have worked for and paid taxes on and am not using it, but I lend it to her to wear for free thus saving her money having to buy her own dress....she wins and I win, I can now feel in future I might want to borrow one of her dresses for the day.....what has that got to do with duty of care> that is a free market to lend and borrow without involving tickets or tokens, only good free will.

Do you think landlords have a duty of care to their tenants ?

The day a dress can kill you with dodgy wiring or carbon monoxide then I will probably be n favour of dress loan gulag ion too.

[winkie]

Do you think landlords have a duty of care to their tenants ?

The day a dress can kill you with dodgy wiring or carbon monoxide then I will probably be n favour of dress loan gulag ion too.

Rubbish.....Look If I am prepared to stay there and kill myself do I sue myself......it is all these rules and regulations and money made from people implementing them that has gone too far....soon we won't be able to cross the road in case we kill ourselves crossing it....the world has gone mad......

[erat_forte]

.....no I don't understand......TPTB want us to rent stuff for money then they can take a cut.....if I lend my sister my dress I have worked for and paid taxes on and am not using it, but I lend it to her to wear for free thus saving her money having to buy her own dress....she wins and I win, I can now feel in future I might want to borrow one of her dresses for the day.....what has that got to do with duty of care> that is a free market to lend and borrow without involving tickets or tokens, only good free will.

If wearing the dress causes her injury or death you would be liable, I suppose.

[winkie]

If wearing the dress causes her injury or death you would be liable, I suppose.

Who's business is it what it causes her, life is full of risks, and a check of any item is only a snap shot in time, the following day anything could be faulty .....bit like the crb checks, jimmy saville would have had a clear crb check if anyone had done one on him....clear today, not tomorrow.....well it creates jobs and collects fees.....it must be good......what was wrong with the old fashioned personal reference?

[workingpoor]

Someone pointed out to me that this article as read appears to say the regulations apply to second property's? IE if your living in spain and hold more than one rental property?

[Ologhai Jones]

Yes, and how Spanish and French tourism properties are losing out to Brits who pay no taxes on monies made from renting to other Brits.

Should taxes be paid by Brits renting to other Brits in foreign countries? I assume taxes should be paid, but they're just not doing so, yes?

To which country should the taxes be paid?

[onlyme2]

Should taxes be paid by Brits renting to other Brits in foreign countries? I assume taxes should be paid, but they're just not doing so, yes?

To which country should the taxes be paid?

Income tax or equivalent on earnings where they are domiciled. Service type taxes or touritst taxes on services / rooms - they go with the location of the property.

[Blod]

Yes, and how Spanish and French tourism properties are losing out to Brits who pay no taxes on monies made from renting to other Brits.

Imagine being a Spanish small hotel owner paying local taxes, getting the required permits, paying insurances, etc, and having to compete with a bunch of Brit second home owners who pay none of those.

I know of a local building that was converted into flats, the "contractors" had come from Southern Asia and were being paid "back home". After the job was finished they flew home and had been doing this for a number of years.

[The Ayatollah Buggeri]

.....no I don't understand......TPTB want us to rent stuff for money then they can take a cut.....if I lend my sister my dress I have worked for and paid taxes on and am not using it, but I lend it to her to wear for free thus saving her money having to buy her own dress....she wins and I win, I can now feel in future I might want to borrow one of her dresses for the day.....what has that got to do with duty of care> that is a free market to lend and borrow without involving tickets or tokens, only good free will.

Your dress cannot kill or injure your sister if it falls into disrepair or is not properly maintained. In that situation it won't look very nice, but that's the extent of the risk. A house with a dodgy boiler, on the other hand...