Expat Acceptance

Hello,

Wow, these very interesting questions! We are two Americans planning a similar move to Spain this year. In the last two years, we have spent periods of time in Spain and so far, have experienced zero feelings of resentment or contempt directed toward us- quite the opposite.  I think the vast majority of Spanish citizens understand that this is a problem  to be worked out in the governmental bodies and in the courts, and that the individual foreigner is hardly at the root of a system that needs tweaking.  Furthermore, only a tiny percentage of Spaniards take to the streets in protest though it is widely reported on because of the dramatic tactics like spraying tourists with water pistols. Even then, I feel, the idea is to wake the government up albeit very unpleasant or frightening  for visitors.    It is not only English-speaking visitors buying homes, there are a fair number of northern Europeans from others countries, though I do not have the numbers.  i think this question is an excellent one, and I, too, would be interested in the response to your questions  from others who have actually spent extended expanses of time in Spain, lived or even worked among Spaniards.  It is something I have pondered; thank you for posing the question.

@ABQAce

I'd say that my feelings are similar to those of @Seamus452, and that the frustration you talk about is not directed specifically at foreigners... it's directed at the rise of Airbnbs and short-term tourist lets, and how this inevitably increases rents and drives out locals. While also contributing to the sense that popular destination are getting hugely overcrowded. The folks that own rental flats are probably mostly Spanish, rather than foreigners (although, of course, some foreigners do own properties that they rent out, or perhaps leave empty most of the year).

Inevitably, that frustration does also manifest against the tourists renting these flats, but not directly because they're foreign. More from the general frustration with the situation and the perceived injustice. If you go live on La Rambla in Barcelona, then perhaps you're more likely to experience it. But if you're a regular expat living in a quiet spot off the tourist track then I doubt anyone will be hostile (and probably will be typically friendly).

Spain's not the only country concerned about the impact of Airbnbs, and Barcelona is not the only city trying to address it. Personally, I would not take it as a significant issue that would affect my choice of countries or whether or not to make the move. Spain's a deservedly popular retirement destination, and that's not going to change. But, sure, I'd think twice if I wanted to rent out my property on Airbnb, or otherwise rely on some short-term rental income.

One aspect of the "political response" is the prospect of a foreigner property tax, and some potential expats are quite worried about the cost of this. I haven't studied the details, but it's not yet a law, and I doubt it would ever be as high as 100% as recently mentioned. Moreover, I suspect that such a tax would not apply if you completed your immigration formalities first (i.e. you're a legal resident, rather than a pesky vacation-loving foreigner).

Thanks for your responses, Seamus452 and gwynj, your perspectives are most reassuring! It's good to know that most Spaniards have a balanced understanding of the housing issue and direct their concerns to the government. Airbnb has been a serious problem for several US cities with high tourism- I know San Francisco and New York have really struggled to get laws in place to control short-term rentals. Hopefully Spain will be able to pass laws to limit the number of Airbnb rentals or require those renting to tourists to pay the same taxes as hotels. I'd be very interested to hear from other expats on their experiences- have any of you ever felt any animosity directed towards you since the housing shortage became a high-visibility issue?