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PROPERTY

First house sold by lottery ticket in Spain

A four-bedroom town house near Castellón worth €90,000 ($99,256) now has a new owner who won it with a €10 lottery ticket.

Published: 6 April 2015 15:37 CEST
First house sold by lottery ticket in Spain
The winning numbers. Photo: lotohome.es

The Bolumar family came up with the idea of offloading the property through a lottery after struggling to sell the home they inherited when an elderly relative died two years ago.

In a stagnant property market and with little hope of a new buyer finding a bank willing to lend, the family realized it would be a struggle to sell the home for what it was worth using the traditional market.

"When we put it on the market, a few people showed an interest but no bank was willing to issue a mortgage," explained Pepe Bolumar, 35, the grandson of the original owner. "So one day I came up with the idea of raffling off the property."

The four-bedroom townhouse in Segorbe. Photo: lotohome.es

It took more than a year to set up and a struggle through bureaucratic processes to stage but on the last Sunday of March the lottery took place and the house in Segorbe became the property of the winning lottery ticket holder.

The house was offered through a website lotohome.es and attracted participants from across Spain and abroad.

Photo: lotohome.es

"For the price of just €10 someone has won a house in perfect condition and they won’t have to pay a cent more because all the costs are included," Bolumar told Spain’s El Mundo newspaper.

The family, which estimated that it had made the €90,000 value of the house plus an extra €10,000 after administrative costs, will now act as consultants on others who want to offer their home through a lottery.

 Photo: lotohome.es

"We were the first to do this in Spain but it could benefit others," said Bolumar who believes it offers benefits to both the vendor and the lottery winner.

 

 Photo: lotohome.es

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RENTING

The rules and small print for a rental contract for a room in Spain

Renting a room in Spain can often be easier and cheaper than trying to rent a whole apartment or house for yourself, but there are still several things you need to look out for in your rental contract and small print clauses you need to be aware of.

Published: 17 September 2024 09:28 CEST
The rules and small print for a rental contract for a room in Spain

Sharing a flat in Spain may of course not be your first choice; in 55 percent of cases people here do so because they can’t afford their own place. 

Renting a room is now almost 10 percent more expensive than a year ago, according to recent data published by property portal Idealista, costing almost double in 2024 than it did nine years ago.

The national average for renting a room is now €488 per month.

If you’ve come here to be a student or to learn Spanish though, renting a room can be excellent choice.

Due to Spain’s housing crisis and financial constraints, renting a room is no longer only an option for young people in Spain. In fact, in 2022 Idealista found that the average of a person sharing a home in Spain was 34. 

READ ALSO: Renting a room in Spain costs 90% more than in 2015

Renting a room is increasingly popular in Spain, especially in those cities where rent is very high, such as in regional capitals. 

While your contract for renting a room may not be extensive as renting a whole property, it’s still very important that you have one to make sure that you’re protected.

A room rental agreement not only ensures that both parties are clear about their rights and responsibilities, but also avoids potential misunderstandings and conflicts.

Typically, when you are renting una habitación, your room will be your space, but you will have shared access common areas such as the kitchen, living room and bathroom. 

READ ALSO – Aval: How to get a bank guarantee to rent a property in Spain

Factors to keep in mind when renting a room in Spain:

Tenants do not have the right to continue to live in the home beyond what is stipulated in the contract, so your landlord will have greater control over the property.

It is important that the room rental contract specifies the purpose of renting the room and how long it’s for. Generally, this type of rental is regulated by the Civil Code, but it could also be subject to the Urban Lease Law (LAU), even though the existence of this type of lease is not specified.

The room should include basic furniture, and the landlord is responsible for paying the bills initially, although they may be included in the rent.

There’s no minimum legal content that room rental contracts must contain, and it is not even mandatory for it to be in writing. But it is still advisable to get one in writing in order avoid future problems.

READ ALSO: The pros and cons of signing a temporary rental contract in Spain 

According to property website Idealista, room rental contracts should contain these following elements:

  • The duration of the contract.
  • A statement saying exactly which room is being rented out.
  • The rental price, as well as the payment method with which the tenant will pay the rent and when it will be due each month.
  • The services that are included, such as the use of the kitchen and being able to connect to the internet.
  • It’s also important that there’s a clause to say how payments should be divided in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
  • It must be indicated if subletting the room is allowed or not. As stated in the Civil Code this may be possible if your contract doesn’t specifically state that you can’t.
  • If the property is rented by several people, the contract must be formalised between all tenants through a single rental contract and tenants will appear in the same contract.

READ ALSO: Is subletting legal in Spain? 

How to tell if a room rental contract is legal in Spain

For a room rental agreement to be legal, it must contain the following information:

  • Full names, DNI or NIE number, address and telephone number of both the landlord and the tenant.
  • Specify the exact address of the home, the rented room and the common areas the tenant has access to.
  • The start and end date of the contract.
  • The amount of the deposit and the return conditions. It is not mandatory to provide a deposit, but landlords can request it.
  • The monthly rent, the payment method and how to make the payment.
  • It must state who is responsible for the necessary works and repairs in the home.
  • A clause must be included stating who responsible for community expenses, water, electricity, gas, etc.
  • The text must state the conditions for termination of the contract, such as non-payment of rent or failure to comply with the rules or the landlord selling the property.
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