Spain urges to deal with the problem of squatters

What has happened? Spanish society is increasingly concerned about the problem of "Squatters" - people who occupy other people's houses illegaly.

 Plataforma de Afectados por la Ocupación (Platform of People Affected by Squatting) has estimated that the problem is already affecting about 100,000 homes across Spain.

Numbers. According to the latest data provided by the Ministry of the Interior, there were 16,726 cases of squatting in the country in 2022 (46 per day). The maximum number of squatting in recent years was recorded in 2021 - 17,274 cases.

The Problem. The procedure for evicting "squatters" takes more and more time. The average time of verbal possession proceedings for illegal occupation of dwellings in the Courts of First Instance and Civil Courts of Instruction in 2022 was more than 10 months (The worst situation is in Andalusia and Murcia). Over the past four years, this period has more than doubled.

But to these times must be added the time taken for appeals of judgements in the Provincial Courts in civil proceedings, which in 2022 recorded an average of 9.6 months.

Risks. According to Spanish lawyers, this trend will increase, as the new Housing Law will further increase the time it takes to evict squatters "due to the series of requirements and formalities that are demanded in order to bring a judicial procedure of these characteristics". 

The suggestions. The Rent Negotiating Agency (ANA) proposes three legislative changes to fight the problem:

• to establish prison sentences (from 6 to 12 months) for the crime of squatting;
• to allow  police to evict squatters in the first few days after the “squatting” without a court order;
• to allow judges, upon request, admit the precautionary measure of eviction from occupied housing before proceedings begin. 

Source: Idealista

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org (MickStephenson) 

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