Note

Using a caretaker for your Spanish home

§ 1When an individual suits

An individual is cheaper and more personal than a company. It suits a home that is empty for part of the year and a neighbour or friend who lives nearby. It fits less well when you let the home often or when the person cannot act in an emergency. This page belongs to the chapter on how managing from abroad works, and the alternative is explained in more on holiday-home management.

§ 2Write down the role

Agree in writing what the person will do. A typical list is visiting at set intervals, opening the shutters, running the taps, checking for leaks and damp, collecting the post and letting in tradespeople. State what they may spend without asking, and how they report. Add the people they should call first, such as the plumber or the community administrator.

§ 3Authority

Giving someone a key is not the same as giving them authority to sign. If they must deal with the supplier or the tax office, a power of attorney drawn up before a notary is needed, limited to the tasks. Our legal process section explains how powers work. A broad authority to a casual helper is a poor idea.

§ 4Paid or unpaid

If you pay for regular work, the arrangement may be treated as employment or as a business service, and each has duties on the person who pays, such as registration and social security contributions. We did not read the rules on domestic employment, so ask a lawyer or a gestor before you start. A one-off payment for a favour is different from a monthly fee.

§ 5Keys and safety

Count the keys, record who holds them and change the locks when the arrangement ends. Tell the insurer who holds the keys, as the chapter on home insurance explains, since a claim for a break-in can raise the question. Give the caretaker the water and electric locations, and the insurer’s emergency number.

§ 6What to record

Ask the person to send a message after each visit, with two photographs of the key points. Keep the messages. If the insurer later asks whether you inspected the home, you have the answer, and empty-home risks explained explains why it matters.

§ 7Backup

An individual can fall ill or move away. Name a second person, and give the administrator both names. Review the arrangement once a year.

§ 8Trust

Never give access to your bank account. Pay bills from your account by direct debit, and give the caretaker petty cash for small costs with receipts.

§ 9Review the arrangement

Meet or call the person once a year, update the list of tasks and the key log, and ask whether the workload is still reasonable. A helper who feels taken for granted tends to leave without warning, which is the moment an empty home is most exposed.

General information only. This is not legal, tax or financial advice. Check your own situation with a qualified adviser.