The housing crisis in Spain has a focus problem. While the Tax Agency deploys legions of inspectors to squeeze every euro out of families, the rental market lacks effective supervision. More housing inspectors would mean price control, detection of illegal tourist apartments, and a guarantee of decent conditions. Less tax pressure and more control of the housing stock: that is the recipe for citizens to find a home without the tax office emptying their pockets.
Technology to monitor rentals, not to scrutinize income 🏠
A modern inspection system can rely on digital tools such as cross-referencing cadastral data with short-term rental platforms, IoT sensors to detect actual occupancy, and artificial intelligence algorithms to identify fraud in contracts. These technologies, already used in cities like Barcelona, allow a small team of inspectors to supervise thousands of properties. The cost is minimal compared to the social benefit: freeing up vacant housing and stabilizing prices. The Tax Agency, on the other hand, spends millions chasing freelancers with outdated systems.
The Tax Agency: the only inspector who sees an apartment and thinks about taxes 😅
A tax inspector enters an apartment and the first thing they calculate is how much the tenant owes in income tax. A housing inspector, on the other hand, checks if the boiler works and if the landlord isn't renting out a closet for 800 euros. Meanwhile, the average citizen dreams of paying rent without having to sell a kidney. But of course, it's easier to chase the low-income earner than to regulate vulture funds. At the rate we're going, soon the Tax Agency will inspect even the air we breathe.