Podemos Canarias has proposed a new charge on properties that remain officially vacant for more than two years, as part of a wider plan aimed at increasing the supply of affordable rental housing.
The proposal was presented by party leaders Noemí Santana and Fernando Ruiz during a demonstration outside Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Hall.
The party says the number of empty properties should be assessed alongside the difficulties faced by residents looking for affordable accommodation.
A census of empty homes
Podemos is calling for the Canary Islands Government to work with local councils to create an updated census of unoccupied properties.
The aim, according to the party, would be to establish which homes are genuinely available for occupation and distinguish between properties that have been empty for legitimate reasons and those that have remained vacant without justification.
Ruiz stressed that the proposal is not intended to target small landlords or owners who have a valid reason for leaving a property empty.
Instead, the party wants authorities to identify properties that could potentially be brought back onto the rental market.
Incentives for landlords
Alongside possible penalties, Podemos has proposed measures designed to encourage owners to rent their properties at affordable rates.
These include guarantees against unpaid rent, assistance with rehabilitation work and guarantees covering property maintenance.
The party also wants existing tax mechanisms to be used where habitable homes are deliberately left empty without a justified reason.
In other words, the proposal isn’t simply about charging owners. It also includes measures intended to make renting out properties more attractive.
Proposed €10 per square metre charge
The main new measure would be an annual tax on properties officially declared vacant.
Podemos proposes starting the charge at €10 per square metre of usable floor space, with the amount increasing if the property remains empty.
The party says money raised through the measure should be ring-fenced for the rehabilitation of properties and the development of additional affordable housing.
The proposal would therefore need a system for identifying and formally declaring properties as vacant before the charge could be applied.
Santa Cruz empty-home figures
Podemos has pointed to figures from the 2021 Population and Housing Census, which it says recorded 17.3% of homes in Santa Cruz de Tenerife as empty.
The party argues that the figures need to be updated and that individual properties should be assessed before any measures are applied.
Santana said the Canary Islands should not have empty homes while residents are struggling to find somewhere affordable to live.
The proposal is currently a political initiative from Podemos Canarias. Further decisions would be required from the relevant public authorities before any new tax or charging system could come into effect.