Buying a property in Tenerife, Gran Canaria or Lanzarote: what to check
Year-round sun makes the Canaries a favourite for retirees and remote workers. The risks are different from the mainland: wildfires in the pine forests of the big islands, volcanic activity, and holiday rental rules that changed recently.
Check a specific property →Canary Islands by town: official data
Town-level figures from official sources. They describe the area, not your house: a villa on high ground in a town with floods can be safe, and the opposite. The Hogarfax report checks the exact plot.
| Town | Population | Urban plots in 100-year flood zone | Forest fires 2006–2015 | Seismic acceleration (ab) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adeje | 50,021 | no map | 1 (+9 small) | 0.04 g |
| Arona | 87,793 | no map | none recorded | 0.04 g |
| Puerto de la Cruz | 31,137 | no map | none recorded | 0.04 g |
| Santiago del Teide | 12,582 | no map | none recorded | 0.04 g |
| San Bartolomé de Tirajana | 54,291 | no map | 7 (+67 small) | 0.04 g |
| Moya | 8,007 | no map | 3 (+26 small) | 0.04 g |
| Teguise | 24,027 | no map | none recorded | 0.04 g |
| Tías | 21,613 | no map | none recorded | 0.04 g |
| Yaiza | 18,842 | no map | none recorded | 0.04 g |
| La Oliva | 30,022 | no map | none recorded | 0.04 g |
Sources: population, INE municipal register (2025); flood, share of urban cadastral plots inside the 100-year river flood zone (SNCZI, MITECO; it does not cover rain or sea flooding, nor the Canary Islands); fires, municipal forest fire statistics (EGIF, MITECO, CC-BY 4.0); seismic, basic acceleration of the Spanish seismic building code NCSE-02.
Wildfires in the pine forests
In August 2023 a wildfire burned around 14,000 hectares in the north of Tenerife; Gran Canaria had major fires in 2019. Homes in the hills and near the pine forest are the most exposed. Follow fires live on our active fires map.
Volcanoes
The 2021 eruption on La Palma destroyed around 3,000 buildings. On Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria the volcanic hazard is monitored by the IGN and Involcan. It is not a reason to avoid the islands, but it is a reason to check insurance: in Spain, volcanic damage is covered by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros through your home policy.
Holiday rentals
The Canary Islands have been tightening the rules for holiday rentals (vivienda vacacional), especially for new registrations. If you plan to rent to tourists, check the current registration and the rules of the building or complex.
Flood maps
The national river flood maps we use (SNCZI) do not cover the Canary Islands, so the table below shows no flood data. Ask the seller about water in heavy rain and check the island's own flood risk plan.
41 things to check before buying a home in Spain
Many buyers think they can check it all themselves. In practice the data is spread across the Cadastre, the Land Registry, the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, the Nuclear Safety Council, the National Geographic Institute, regional planning and town halls, each with its own maps and its own language. Missing just one can cost far more than the house's renovation.
Legal status and land
- Cadastral use (is it legally a home?)
- Planning classification of the land
- Urban, developable or rustic land
- Livestock trails (vías pecuarias)
- River public domain (DPH)
- Coastal public domain and easements (Costas)
- Minimum habitable floor area
- Building inspection status (ITE/IEE)
- Land Registry: owner, mortgages, seizures, easements (Land Registry Study)
Natural hazards
- River flooding (100-year flood zone)
- Sea and coastal flooding
- Wildfire: forest next to the house
- Wildfire history of the area
- Areas burned in recent fires
- Active fires detected by satellite
- Earthquake hazard
- Radon gas
- Dams upstream
Installations and surroundings
- High-voltage power lines
- Electrical substations and energy plants
- Wind farms
- Solar farms
- Nuclear power plants
- Thermal power plants
- Macro-farms (intensive livestock)
- Factories and industrial land
- Landfills and incinerators
- Petrol stations next to the home
- Vacant plots next door (what will be built?)
- Noisy roads and motorways
- Railways
- Airports
The house and the price
- Real square metres vs the listing
- Age of the building and its parts
- Estimated renovation cost
- Asking price vs real sales nearby
- Indicative price range
- Estimated rent
- Real buying costs (taxes, notary, registry)
- Annual costs (IBI, community, waste)
- Facade photo and official record
The one you forget is the one that matters: a power line behind the garden, a macro-farm just down the road, a vacant plot next door where a block will go up, a ravine that floods once every few years, or a "villa" that the Cadastre doesn't record as a home. Hogarfax checks all of them for the exact property, with the official source of each one.
Before you pay a deposit in Canary Islands
- Check the exact plot, not the town: flood zone, distance to forest, planning classification and what is planned around it.
- Check it is legally a home: the cadastral use, the Land Registry description (nota simple) and the occupancy licence.
- Compare the real square metres with the listing and the price with real sales nearby.
- Make the deposit conditional on anything that doesn't add up, and have a lawyer review the contract.
Check the house you like in Canary Islands
The Hogarfax report checks the specific property against 30+ official sources — legal use, flood zone, wildfire, planning, real size and price — in English, reviewed by a person and emailed within 24 hours. €24.90 VAT included. Add the Land Registry Study (€89) and we request and explain the nota simple for you.
Find the property →Free: check the flood zone of an address on the flood zone page or the wildfire history on the wildfire map.
Frequently asked questions
Is home insurance in the Canary Islands valid for volcanic eruptions?
In Spain, extraordinary risks such as volcanic eruptions, floods and earthquakes are covered by the Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros through any standard home insurance policy.
Can I rent my apartment in Tenerife to tourists?
Only with a holiday rental registration under the Canary rules, which have been tightened. Check the property's registration and the community's rules before buying.
Is there wildfire risk in Tenerife?
Yes, in the hills and around the pine forest: the 2023 fire burned around 14,000 hectares in the north of the island. Coastal resorts are less exposed.
Other areas
Are you a lawyer, agent or adviser working with buyers here? See our partner programme. Written by Diana Popescu, Hogarfax. This guide is general information, not legal advice.