While the majority of British expats are aware of Spain’s new laws on the GB car sticker and residency permits, there are a few that many people don’t know about. However, anyone breaking one of these laws could face a strict fine.
During a busy day of household cleaning, most people think shaking a dusty rug outside your door is a fairly normal thing to do.
But this simple cleaning technique could land someone with a heavy fine in the Spanish city of Seville.
Shaking carpets or clothes outside a house is considered illegal in the beautiful city in southern Spain.
But shaking out a dusty rug isn’t the only unusual cleaning rule that could land people in hot water in Seville.
Hanging ‘indecent’ items to dry from a washing line can cause a resident to get a fine of up to €3,000 (£2,564) in Seville.
While only the most serious ‘indecent’ items will incur the maximum fine, a lesser offence could also break the law.
British expats need to be particularly careful in Seville as unnecessary car revving could also break the law.
The city’s anti-noise legislation also prohibits loud TVs on the terrace of a restaurant or rolling beer barrels in the street.
The laws against rowdy behaviour even apply to dominoes and dice games which are forbidden in outdoor cafe areas.
Playing darts outside is also covered under Seville’s strict anti noise legislation and offences will incur fines.
Fines range from €300 (£256) to a whopping €300,000 (£256,400) for breaking one of the anti-noise laws so expats will need to be careful.
A family trip to the beach often involves jumping the waves, a volleyball game or building sandcastles.
However, sand castle fans will need to watch out for a very unusual bylaw in place on the Canary Island of Tenerife.
In the popular areas of Arona and Arica, there’s a law against building large sandcastles on the beach.
The unusual law was brought in to protect the area’s coastline and keep its stunning beaches pollution free.
While the punishment for breaking the large sandcastle law is unknown, eager sandcastle craftsmen will have to apply for a municipal permit before starting construction.
Cleaning experts will often say the best place to dry a soaking mop is outside if the weather is warm.
However, this simple act will get a resident fined in the village of Villanueva de la Torre in Guadalajara according to The Local.
The village, in the centre of Spain, introduced a ban on leaving a mop drying on a balcony in a bid to stop antisocial behaviour.
The same set of laws also bans dogs barking at night and prohibits children from playing in the street.
