How to get your electricity, water, and taxes sorted after buying in Spain

You signed at the notary. The property is legally yours. And now there's a long list of things nobody told you about: putting the electricity in your name, switching the water, paying the council tax, sorting the community fees. Every single one is in Spanish. Every single one involves a different office. And all of it needs to happen in the first few months.

Here's what needs to happen, in what order, explained simply.

1. Putting the electricity in your name

Right now, the electricity at your property is in someone else's name. Usually the builder's or the previous owner's. You need to change it to your name. On the Costa del Sol, the main company is Endesa, but there are others like Iberdrola.

What they'll ask you for

• Your NIE (foreigner identification number)
• The CUPS code for your property (a 22-character supply point identifier, printed on any existing bill)
• Your escritura (property deed) or nota simple as proof of ownership
• A Spanish bank account with IBAN for direct debit

How to get it done

You can call, visit an office, or do it online. The problem: the phone line is in Spanish, the offices are in Spanish, and the website needs a Spanish digital certificate to log in. It takes about 5 to 10 working days once the paperwork is submitted.

2. Getting the water in your name

Water is handled by different local companies depending on your town. Marbella and Estepona use Acosol. Malaga city uses EMASA. Fuengirola uses Aqualia. Each one has its own forms and its own office.

What they'll ask you for

• Your NIE
• Escritura or nota simple
• The previous contract number or meter number
• Spanish bank account for direct debit (SEPA mandate)

Unlike electricity, you almost always have to go to the local office in person. Everything is in Spanish. It takes about 1 to 3 weeks.

3. Council tax (IBI)

IBI is Spain's annual property tax. Think of it like council tax. Your local town hall charges it once a year. After you buy, it needs to be switched to your name.

This does not happen automatically. Your lawyer might have done it as part of the purchase, but in many cases (especially with new builds), the tax just keeps being charged to the old owner or the builder until someone actively goes to the town hall and changes it.

What they'll ask you for

• Your NIE
• Escritura
• The catastral reference number of the property (found on the escritura or via the Sede Electronica del Catastro)
• A completed alta/cambio de titularidad form from your local Ayuntamiento
• Spanish bank account for direct debit setup

4. Community fees

If you're in an apartment building or a gated community, you pay a monthly fee for shared things: the pool, the garden, the lift, the cleaning, the building insurance. This is called the community fee.

What you need to sort

• Contact the community president or the property management company (administrador de fincas) that manages the community
• Provide your escritura, NIE, and bank details
• Set up a SEPA direct debit for automatic payment
• Request a copy of the latest community meeting minutes (actas) and the annual budget

On the Costa del Sol, community fees are usually between 50 and 250 euros per month for apartments. More if your building has a gym, large pool, or security.

5. Insurance

You don't legally need home insurance in Spain unless you have a mortgage. But your community will almost certainly require it, and it's a good idea either way.

Look for cover that includes: structure, contents, liability, water damage (very common in Spanish apartments), and legal defence. A standard apartment on the Costa del Sol costs about 200 to 500 euros per year to insure.

6. Tourist rental licence (if you want to rent on Airbnb)

If you want to rent your property to tourists on Airbnb or Booking, you need a licence called a VFT. You apply for it through the regional government (Junta de Andalucia).

Malaga city has currently stopped issuing new licences in some areas. Outside the city (Estepona, Marbella, Fuengirola, Mijas), you can still apply. It takes about 4 to 8 weeks and you need specific documents from the builder.

Why is all of this so hard?

None of these tasks is impossible on its own. The problem is that there are six of them, they all involve different offices, different forms, and different phone numbers, and everything is in Spanish. Your lawyer handled the legal purchase but doesn't do any of this. Your estate agent has moved on to the next sale. Nobody is responsible for actually getting your property up and running.

That's the gap. And that's where most foreign owners lose time, money, and patience in the first few months.