Housing crisis in Spain

A shortage of affordable housing is pushing Spain’s property market into an unprecedented tailspin. Tens of thousands of squatters and groups of illegal settlers are leaving owners stranded. Amid this, a new industry has emerged: the eviction of illegal settlers. The controversial business reflects the dark side of Spain’s housing crisis, where both landlords and tenants are trapped under ever-increasing financial pressure.

Angela Mendoza and her team create tension whenever they appear in the neighborhood. Their job is to remove illegal or unpaid renters from apartments when the apartment owners are powerless. For tenants in dire straits, the fear of being pushed out is ever-present. They are determined to stay put, but the landlords cannot let them stay.

Data shows that squatting is on the rise, with 16,000 recorded in 2024 alone. At the same time, the court system has been stretched to its limits, with Andalusia alone having a backlog of nearly a million cases, making the process of obtaining an eviction order take years. In that vacuum, tenant eviction companies like Angela’s have proliferated.

Angela describes her work as more psychological and collaborative than intimidation. In one intervention, a tenant had not paid rent for three months. Angela and her team approached cautiously, eventually convincing the man to sign a commitment to vacate the property within three weeks. It was a success story: the property was returned to the landlord without conflict.

“The work is largely psychological and socially collaborative, but in the worst case, confrontations are inevitable,” said Angela Mendoza, a private eviction service provider.

Just two streets away, an elderly couple wept with relief. Their rental apartment had been repossessed and they were being forced to pay the monthly electricity and water bills. They said they had run out of options before coming to Angela.

But services like these aren’t always popular. Maria is facing losing her home. She has always paid her rent on time. But her old building is about to be demolished to make way for a new high-rise, and the new homes are too expensive to buy. She is terrified of being pushed out onto the streets.

José Juan Martinez, head of a community initiative in Zaidín, said the crisis was a direct result of the influx of tourists . Since 2021, the number of tourist rental apartments has doubled. According to him, locals are being pushed out of traditional working-class areas as landlords prioritize short-term profits.

Mr. Jose Juan Martinez - Representative of Zaidín residential area shared: "The situation of housing occupation is getting worse and worse and the main reason comes from the scarcity of cheap, affordable housing. Since 15 years ago, the construction of new houses has almost completely stagnated."

Against this backdrop, a major push is underway on the outskirts of Malaga, where more than 7,000 social housing units are being built to increase supply. However, the lengthy approval process means these social housing projects can take more than 10 years to complete. This procedural cycle continues to squeeze housing supply, adding further pressure to the rental market.

Source: https://vtv.vn/khung-hoang-nha-o-tai-tay-ban-nha-10025111323245437.htm