In late 2023, a new law came into effect in Andalucia, whereby construction may be allowed on rural land (officially classified as “rustico”). Previously, upto 1% of rustic land would be allowed to have a single-storey covered construction, without water or electricity connection – the intention was to allow a warehouse for tools storage, strictly related to agriculture. The new law allows a residential single-family dwelling to be constructed with upto 2 floors, a built-up area that does not exceed 1% of the plot, which, in turn, will have a minimum area of 2.5 hectares. This means that the homes can occupy more than 250 square meters for plots of 2.5 hectares, for example. This new Andalusian Law does not allow more than one detached single-family home per plot, and buildings must be at a minimum distance of one hundred meters from other homes and 25 meters from plot boundaries. The use of renewable energies will also prevail and the basic services of the home must be guaranteed autonomously and, preferably, through self-consumption installations with renewable energy sources such as a photovoltaic panel. Finally, another essential requirement is that the building be located outside of flood zones and that if it is built on forest land, safety conditions are guaranteed if a fire breaks out.
