How much an empty flat in Sueca really costs you each month

We’re getting more and more calls from owners who have an empty flat “from grandma”, or a second property no longer used, who never sat down to calculate how much it actually costs them every month.

The figure usually surprises them. Even more so when they realise they’re paying for something that’s also losing value through disuse.

The real calculation for an average flat in Sueca

Let’s take a typical case: 90 m² flat, two bedrooms, central Sueca, mortgage-free, valued at around €130,000.

Fixed monthly costs:

• Pro-rata property tax · €35-50/month (depending on cadastral value)
• Community fees · €40-90/month (more if there’s a lift, pool or concierge)
• Minimum utilities · €25-45/month (contracted electricity capacity + fixed water charges, even with no consumption)
• Home insurance · €20-35/month (mandatory if you have a mortgage, recommended always)
• Municipal taxes · €10-15/month (refuse, drainage pro-rated)

Subtotal direct costs · €130-235/month

To this you should add two invisible figures most people leave out:

• Property deterioration · conservative estimate €80-120/month (an empty flat deteriorates faster than an occupied one, especially in damp areas like Valencia)
• Opportunity cost · if you sold and put €130,000 in safe deposits at 3.5%, that’s €380/month you’re forgoing

Real total estimated · €250-400/month, not counting financial opportunity cost.

What councils are doing

The 2023 national Housing Act allowed councils to apply property tax surcharges to empty homes of up to 150% of the base rate. Some councils already apply it (Valencia city introduced it in stages). Sueca hasn’t yet, but it’s likely to come.

If your flat currently pays €600 annual property tax, with the maximum surcharge it could reach €1,500. This changes the maths.

The three real alternatives

If you have an empty flat, in practice there are three exits:

1. Sell

The cleanest option: liquidate the asset, stop paying monthly, receive capital you can use for other purposes (primary home, investment, helping children/grandchildren). The opportunity cost of not selling is high in stable markets like the current Sueca one.

Recommended when:

• You’ll never use it
• You need liquidity
• There are several heirs wanting to settle
• The flat needs renovations you don’t want to take on

2. Let

In Sueca, a 90 m² flat can be let for €750-900/month. After management costs, property tax and maintenance, net yield is around 4-5% per year.

Recommended when:

• You want to keep family heritage
• You don’t need the capital now
• You’re willing to manage (or pay for professional management)
• The property is in good condition

3. Renovate then decide

Sometimes a flat sits empty precisely because it’s outdated and doesn’t attract good buyers or tenants. A mid-level renovation (kitchen, bathrooms, floors, fittings) usually pays back in sale or rental price. The key is not to over-renovate: there’s an optimal point beyond which the investment is not recovered.

The most common mistake

Keeping the flat empty “just in case”, paying €300/month for 5 years = €18,000 in direct costs, not counting deterioration, future tax surcharges or opportunity cost.

Over 5 years, that’s roughly 15% of the flat’s value evaporated in expenses. And it’s a decision often made through inertia, not analysis.

What to do if you have one

First, don’t decide from inertia. Some questions that help:

• Will I use this property in the next 3 years? (If no, you need to think)
• Am I emotionally ready to sell? (If not, letting can be an intermediate step)
• What is it really worth on the market today? (Get an honest valuation)
• What would I do with the money if I sold? (If there’s no clear destination, letting may make more sense)

Each case is different. What makes no sense is to keep paying every month without doing the maths.

In summary

An empty flat in Sueca costs €250-400/month, plus deterioration and opportunity cost. Regulatory pressure on empty homes is increasing. If you have one, you owe yourself at least to sit down with the numbers before paying through inertia for another year.