La Laguna to Impose Property Tax Surcharge on Vacant Homes to Tackle Housing Crisis

The San Cristóbal de La Laguna City Council has approved a new policy aimed at tackling the local housing crisis. Following a motion by Drago Verdes Canarias, the council will now implement a surcharge on the Property Tax (IBI) for homes left empty for long periods. The goal is to encourage owners of nearly 5,000 vacant properties—identified in a study by the University of La Laguna—to put them on the rental market.

The motion passed with broad support from most political groups, with the Popular Party being the only exception. The council now has three months to create a plan and must present the updated tax rules before the next budget is finalized. This move aims to restart an initiative that had been stalled in the planning stages since last November.

A key challenge for the council is accurately identifying which homes are truly empty. While national statistics suggest a high number of vacant properties, the local government needs more precise data to legally justify the tax. To solve this, the city will cross-reference municipal records, land registry data, and water consumption logs. This method, already used in other parts of Spain, is designed to ensure the process is fair and legally sound.

To protect homeowners with legitimate reasons for leaving a property vacant, the new regulation will include several exemptions. Owners will not be penalized if their home is empty due to work, health, or academic relocations, or if they are dealing with social emergencies or dependency issues. Properties involved in legal disputes or those officially classified as second homes will also be exempt. By balancing these protections with the need for more housing, La Laguna hopes to address one of the Canary Islands' most pressing social issues.