Real estate

A high-profile court case between short-term rental platform Airbnb and Spanish authorities is gaining momentum in Madrid. The region’s highest court refused to suspend a fine of 64 million euros. This means that the company must pay the amount now, despite the ongoing appeal.

The first persons of the state, in accordance with the law, have submitted their income and property declarations for 2025 to the National Integrity Authority. Among them, the largest income was declared by Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu, who is known to have come to this position from business.

On the Côte d’Azur – in the French region of Alpes-Maritimes – a large-scale housing crisis is forming. This is according to the CCI Nice Côte d’Azur report, which records a sharp imbalance between supply and demand.

Dolce & Gabbana has begun talks with lenders about a possible renegotiation of debt terms amid weakening global demand for luxury goods.

Parliament has passed in the second reading a bill regulating the activities of real estate agents. The document introduces new rules for working in the market, mandatory certification of specialists and provides for a transition period for existing intermediaries to adapt to the new requirements.

Dubai-based developer Binghatti reported that geopolitical tensions in the region have not yet had a significant impact on the level of cancellations. According to the company, the cancellation rate remains minimal – less than 1% – and is in line with the usual figures of previous years.

The Government is “against” the introduction of exemption from real estate tax on the purchase of a first home. At the same time, the Cabinet of Ministers is “in favor” of reintroducing the maximum rates for this tax.

Robert Levine sold a home in Cooper City, S.C., for $954,800, or $100,000 more than the price offered by real estate agents, according to Logos Press.

In the Dutch real estate market, foreign buyers are less likely to overpay than locals, according to Logos Press.

Millwall Football Club, playing in the second division of the English Championship, has agreed with the Borough Council of Lewisham (London) to enter into a 999-year lease agreement for The Den stadium and the surrounding area, according to Logos Press.

Property owners can check and challenge the valuation of their house or apartment until April 30 this year, using the online platform geodata.gov.md.

Economic analyst Veaceslav Ionita drew attention to a worrying trend: the quality of the mortgage lending market is deteriorating in Moldova.

The High-Level Conference on Social Rights “European Social Charter” identified, among a number of other challenges to the social protection of citizens, a particularly acute problem – limited access to housing, which directly affects the social protection and dignity of people.

Real estate brokers will be required to obtain certification of professional competence. A draft law on the activities of real estate agents will be put to a vote in its second and final reading at a parliamentary session on Friday, March 20.

The government does not support the draft law on raising the limits on the use of cash by citizens in transactions involving the purchase of real estate and vehicles.

Moldova has an acute shortage of designers, which hinders the implementation of large energy projects. Because of this, the €326 million, seven-year project “Optimization of the district heating system in Chisinau” faced serious risks at the start.

Almost 75% of buildings in Moldova were commissioned before 2005 and built without modern energy efficiency standards. By 2050, the authorities plan to reduce consumption in the residential sector by 40.8%, and by 2030 to reduce energy consumption to 2.8 million tons of oil equivalent (or 3 million tons of primary energy).

Banks will have to be more careful with the rights of borrowers and give the right to early repayment of the loan, including the sale of pledged real estate and other “hard” currency.

Britain was the first to react to the military situation, Logos Press reported, citing Prian.

The Parliamentary Commission on Economy, Budget and Finance has expressed its support for retaining the rules on cash payments. The commissioners, who represent the parliamentary majority, argue that restrictions on cash payments, including a €10,000 limit for transactions between individuals, which comes into effect from July 2027, are important to combat the shadow economy.