Chapter
Buying a beachfront or golf property in Spain
Quick answer
A home near the sea is subject to the coastal law, which limits building and can affect what you own. A golf home usually sits in a resort community with fees and rules. Check the coastal status, the registry notes, the community papers and the rental rules before you sign.
Applies toBuyers looking at a home by the sea or on a golf resort.
On this page: 15 sections
§ 1Two kinds of premium
Homes by the sea and homes on golf resorts are sold for the setting. The legal checks are different. A beachfront home raises questions under the coastal law, which protects the shore. A golf home raises questions about the resort community and its costs. This page belongs to the section on property types.
§ 2The coastal law
Spain’s coastal law, Ley 22/1988, protects the shore through the public maritime domain and through easements on neighbouring land. A protection zone covers 100 metres inland from the shore’s inner limit, and the State may extend it by another 100 metres. The coastal law explains the zones, what is allowed and what to ask. The point for a buyer is that the property may be inside a zone, and the rules then limit building and works.
§ 3Check before you buy
Ask the seller for the coastal status of the property. The ministry says that registering or transferring a coastal property can require a certificate of no encroachment, and that the registry can carry notes on a deslinde, the procedure that fixes the shore line. Ask your lawyer to read the registry extract and the municipal plan, and to ask the coastal service for confirmation where there is doubt.
§ 4Golf and resort homes
A golf home often sits in a resort with roads, gardens, pools and security run by a community or an association. The fees can be high and can rise. A golf property explains what to check, including the club’s membership and rights. Read apartments in detail for the general points on communities and fees, which apply to flats and estates alike.
§ 5Letting
Both kinds of home attract holiday lets. The community can limit or ban tourist rental by a qualified majority, and regional rules apply. Read the statutes and the minutes before you count on rent. The rent-and-invest section covers lets in more detail.
§ 6Insurance and risk
Coastal homes face storms, flooding and erosion. Ask the insurer what is covered and at what cost. Ask the town hall and the coastal service about any risk or erosion plan for the stretch.
§ 7Other kinds of home
For detached houses, read an overview of villas. For townhouses, read the rules on townhouses.
For country houses, read what to know about country houses and rural property, and for renovation, read what to know about renovation projects.
For plots to build on, read land and self-build for buyers.
§ 8Before you sign
Ask your lawyer to check the coastal status, the registry notes and the community papers together, and to confirm the answers in writing.
§ 9Sea views and noise
Beaches bring crowds, bars and noise in season. Visit in summer and winter, in the day and at night. Ask the town hall about plans for the seafront, and ask neighbours about the season.
§ 10Salt and maintenance
Salt air corrodes metal, wears paint and damages windows, shutters and railings. Ask the owner what repairs were made and how often. Budget for maintenance that is higher than inland.
§ 11Water and flooding
Ask whether the home has flooded, whether it is in a flood zone and whether the insurer covers it. Ask the town hall and the water authority for any flood maps. A home that looks safe in summer can be exposed in autumn storms.
§ 12Questions for the seller
Ask when the seller bought, whether the property is inside the protection zone, whether a shore line procedure has touched it, and whether works were done near the sea. Ask for the registry extract, the licences and the community papers. Compare the answers with the coastal status you obtain.
§ 13Visiting well
Visit in summer and in winter, by day and by night. Walk to the beach and the shops, listen for noise, and look at the building for salt damage and damp. Ask a technician to inspect the structure and the balconies.
§ 14Keep records
Keep the registry extract, the coastal status, the licences and the community papers together. A later buyer will ask for them, and a clear file helps a sale.
§ 15Back to the section
Types of property in detail explains the kinds of home a foreigner can buy and what each needs checked.
FAQRelated questions
Does the coastal law affect my purchase?
It can. A strip near the shore is public domain, and a wider zone has easements that limit building. Ask for the coastal status of the property and for the registry notes, and ask your lawyer to read them.
Do golf properties have extra costs?
Often. Resorts usually have a community with fees for the roads, gardens, security and facilities, and the golf club may charge separately. Ask for the budget, the accounts and what the fees include.
Can I let a beachfront or golf home?
It depends on regional rules and on the community statutes, which can limit or ban tourist lets. Read both before you rely on rental income, and check the rules of the resort.
Sources
- Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica: Preguntas frecuentes sobre la ley de costas y su aplicación (official source, opens in a new window), Buying a coastal property; homes in the protection zone; works on existing homes; deslindeLast checked 18 October 2026
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley 22/1988 de Costas (BOE-A-1988-18762) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 7, 8, 12 to 15, 23 to 28 and 13 bis; text read to article 44, transitional provisions not readLast checked 18 October 2026
- Boletín Oficial del Estado: Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (Ley 49/1960, BOE-A-1960-10906) (official source, opens in a new window), Arts. 7, 9, 10, 13, 16 and 17 (consolidated text of 3 October 2026)Last checked 26 October 2026
Legal note. How the process works in general. It is not legal advice, and it never replaces an independent Spanish lawyer acting for you.