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Housing law proposal aims to get tougher on squatters in Spain
If approved, the reform would make it easier for landlords throughout Spain to evict squatters
Spain's housing market has been plagued by a severe crisis for months now, with many young people struggling to find affordable housing to rent. There is a serious supply issue, and the Popular Party (PP) believes this may be because homeowners are afraid to rent out their property in case they are unable to get rid of unwanted tenants.
To free up some much-needed rental real estate, the PP has proposed radically reforming the Housing Law in a way that supports homeowners against squatters, something that most landlords would argue is certainly lacking in the current legislation.
One of the key measures in the proposal is to lower the so-called ‘threshold for vulnerability’ from 1,800 euros to 1,050 euros per month. This means that tenants who earn more than 1,050 euros per month will no longer be considered vulnerable and will be subject to eviction if they fail to pay their rent.
At the moment, it’s extremely difficult for landlords to get rid of squatters if they earn anything less than 1,800 euros.
The PP claims that the current law has forced landlords to ask for much higher rents for their homes in order to compensate for the risk, making it almost impossible for young people with average salaries to access the rental market. By lowering the threshold, the party hopes to make it easier for people to find affordable housing.
“The housing problem has become the main obstacle to the well-being of families and the life plans of millions of young people,” said the Deputy Secretary for Sustainable Development, Paloma Martín, at a recent press conference.
“Clearly, a person who earns 1,800 euros is not vulnerable,” the secretary added.
However, the proposal has been met with criticism from some who argue that it will make it easier for landlords to evict innocent tenants and will not address the root causes of the housing crisis. Others have pointed out that the proposal does not provide a solution for the thousands of empty housing units throughout Spain, which are not being used to address the rental property shortage.
The Housing Law and these proposed changes will be debated by the Spanish government before the end of October.
Image: Archive
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