Skriven av Nicki Price, CEOOn the Costa Blanca, most homes are sold freehold (pleno dominio), you own the building and the land outright, forever. But a specific set of properties, chiefly marina berths, some marina-side apartments and a handful of beachfront plots built on the public coastal strip, are sold as a concession (concesión administrativa): a time-limited right to use state-owned coastal land, usually for a fixed period such as 30, 50 or 75 years, after which ownership reverts to the State. This is not British-style leasehold, and it is governed by the Ley 22/1988 de Costas, enforced by the Dirección General de la Costa y el Mar. Before you sign, you need to know exactly how many years are left and whether the right transfers to you.
This guide explains what you actually buy, how marina berths differ from beachfront plots, the real costs, and what to check before committing. It is written for international and expat buyers across the Costa Blanca, Costa Cálida, Costa del Sol and Costa Almería, where these arrangements appear most often along busy stretches of waterfront.
Concession land is state-owned coastal land (the demanio marítimo-terrestre, or public maritime-terrestrial domain) that the State grants you the right to use for a set number of years. You do not own the land, you own a time-limited usage right. It behaves a little like UK leasehold, but the landlord is the Spanish State rather than a private freeholder, and the rules come from the Ley 22/1988 de Costas, not a private lease contract.
The practical consequences are big. A concession has an expiry date; a freehold does not. When the concession ends, the asset and anything built on it return to the State unless the concession is renewed. You also pay an annual fee (the canon) to the State for the privilege, and you usually need administrative permission to sell, mortgage or substantially alter the property. For context on why the coast is so heavily regulated, see our guides to Ley de Costas setback zones and coastal flood and Ley de Costas risk.
Three main types: marina berths and moorings; some apartments and commercial units inside marina complexes built over public domain; and a small number of beachfront villas or plots that sit within the coastal public strip and were regularised as concessions rather than demolished. The large majority of Costa Blanca homes, inland, in urbanisations and in towns set back from the shore, are ordinary freehold.
This is the single most important number. A concession has a fixed maximum term (historically up to 75 years under the Ley de Costas, extendable in defined cases), and a 50-year berth sold 40 years ago may have only around 10 years left. When it expires, the right ends and the asset reverts to the State; extension is at the administration's discretion and is never guaranteed. Always ask the marina or seller for the original concession deed and the exact expiry date in writing.
A short remaining term should heavily discount the price, because your "ownership" is really a countdown. A berth with 8 years left is worth a fraction of one with 45 years left, even if both look identical on the pontoon. Treat the remaining years almost like a lease in the UK, the shorter it gets, the harder it is to sell on or finance.
You pay a purchase price for the right, plus transfer tax, plus an ongoing annual canon to the State and the marina's own running costs. Transfer of a concession right that includes real estate is generally subject to ITP (Impuesto de Transmisiones Patrimoniales), which on the Costa Blanca (Comunidad Valenciana) is 9% for deeds signed from 1 June 2026 under Ley 5/2025, reduced from the previous 10%, with an 11% band above €1M. The tax base is the higher of the price paid or the valor de referencia set by the Catastro, a point many listings quietly skip.
| Region | Resale/concession ITP rate 2026 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Costa Blanca (Comunidad Valenciana) | 9% (11% above €1M), from 1 June 2026 | Ley 5/2025 |
| Costa Cálida (Murcia) | 7.75% | Ley 3/2025 |
| Costa del Sol (Andalucía) | 7% | Junta de Andalucía |
| Costa Almería (Andalucía) | 7% | Junta de Andalucía |
On top of the price, budget the usual acquisition costs: notary ~0.2-0.5%, land registry ~0.1-0.25%, lawyer ~1% + IVA and a gestoría around €300, so roughly 10-13% on top of a Costa Blanca resale price, in line with any resale. The crucial extra is the recurring annual canon paid to the Dirección General de la Costa y el Mar and the marina's berth management fee; always ask for the last two years of invoices so you know the true holding cost before you commit.
In short: freehold is permanent and the strongest right; a concession is a time-limited State grant with an annual fee and expiry date; UK-style private leasehold barely exists in Spain for homes. Here is the comparison buyers most often ask for.
| Feature | Freehold (pleno dominio) | Concession (concesión administrativa) |
|---|---|---|
| Who owns the land | You | The Spanish State |
| Duration | Permanent | Fixed term (e.g. 30/50/75 years) |
| Annual fee to State | No (just IBI local tax) | Yes, the canon, plus IBI |
| What happens at the end | Nothing | Reverts to the State |
| Can you mortgage it? | Yes, readily | Sometimes, with State consent and a short horizon, harder |
| Need permission to sell? | No | Usually yes, the administration must authorise transfer |
| Registered where | Registro de la Propiedad | Registro de la Propiedad + State concession register |
Sometimes, but it is far harder than for a freehold home, and most banks decline berths outright. Lenders dislike a depreciating, time-limited right with a reversion date, so where finance is offered it tends to be at a lower loan-to-value, a shorter term that fits inside the remaining concession, and only with administrative consent to the mortgage charge. Many buyers end up paying cash for berths.
If you do plan to borrow, start with our non-resident mortgage guide and expect the valuation to be conservative, see how a bank tasación can differ from the asking price. For most concession assets, assume you fund the purchase yourself.
A concession transfer is signed before a notary like any sale, but it also requires the administration's authorisation and is noted in both the Registro de la Propiedad and the State's concession records. You cannot simply hand over keys, the change of holder has to be formally approved and recorded, or you risk holding a right the State does not recognise in your name.
Your lawyer should obtain an up-to-date nota simple to check for charges and embargos, confirm the concession is current (canon paid, no revocation pending), and verify the exact expiry date and whether transfer consent has been granted. Completion day itself still follows the normal route to signing the escritura before the notary.
The headline risks are the expiry date, the annual canon rising, difficulty reselling or financing, and, for beachfront in particular, the Ley de Costas setback rules that can restrict what you build or extend. A concession is a managed, revocable right: if you breach the terms (unpaid canon, unauthorised works), the State can revoke it.
Across Mediter's current Costa Blanca portfolio the vast majority of homes are ordinary freehold properties set back from the shoreline, which is exactly why concession questions come up most around marina complexes and the very front line of the beach rather than in standard urbanisations. When a waterfront or marina-linked property does appear, we confirm its tenure up front so you know whether you are buying freehold or a time-limited concession before you view. If you are weighing a berth alongside a home, read it next to our marinas and berths guide and our comparison of the four coasts to decide where to base yourself.
For a marina berth to go with a boat you use regularly, a concession with a healthy remaining term can make good sense, the right is cheaper than freehold would be and the use is genuine. For a main home, most buyers are better served by a freehold property, because the expiry date, financing difficulty and resale friction outweigh any discount. The deciding factors are the remaining years, the annual canon, and whether you can finance and resell comfortably.
No. Both are time-limited rights, but a Spanish concession is granted by the State over public coastal land under the Ley 22/1988 de Costas, with an annual canon and the need for administrative consent to transfer, not a private lease from a freeholder.
Transfers of concession rights that include real estate are generally subject to ITP, which in the Comunidad Valenciana is 9% for deeds signed from 1 June 2026 under Ley 5/2025 (11% above €1M), charged on the higher of the price or the Catastro's valor de referencia. Equivalent resale ITP is 7.75% in Murcia (Ley 3/2025) and 7% in Andalucía.
It depends on the terms of that specific concession and whether the unit has the required licences, such as a cédula de habitabilidad. Many marina units are commercial or holiday-use; always confirm the permitted use in writing before buying.
The right to use the berth ends and control reverts to the State, which may re-tender or renew the port concession. Any extension is discretionary and not guaranteed, so a short remaining term should sharply reduce the price you pay.
Berths are often sub-let subject to the marina's rules, but renting a home on concession land for tourism needs the proper licence, see our tourist rental licence guide. Check the concession terms don't prohibit sub-letting first.
It can be, but only with full legal due diligence: confirm the concession is valid, the canon is paid, the expiry date, and how the property was regularised under the Ley de Costas. Our Ley de Costas risk guide explains the checks.
Concession and marina property rewards careful checking, and that is exactly where a local agent earns their keep. Whether you want a freehold home set back from the shore, a marina berth for your boat, or help deciphering a beachfront concession on the Costa Blanca, Costa Cálida, Costa del Sol or Costa Almería, contact Mediter Real Estate and we will confirm the tenure and the numbers before you ever place a deposit.
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