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Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

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Re: Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

#51

Post by StevenHarlow »

ssijak wrote: post #33

This is pure madness. So you have 48 hours after squatting started to report it and potentially get a fast eviction (why is it not an automatic criminal case for breaking into the property is beyond me). But after 48 hours it seems like it becomes a nightmare. So if you are on a business trip for 3 days or visiting parents in a different city or vacationing for a few days and somebody enters your home, you are out of…

I live in Spain (Valencia) and see lots of okupas around the city. In reality they occupy buildings that aren't being occupied. Property taxes are incredibly low here and many people who own empty buildings are fine with letting them sit, fall apart, and eat the property tax than do anything with them. These are the buildings that are prone to Okupas. I've never seen nor heard of it happening to actively used buildings.

That said, I do think there are better solutions to allowing this to happen. It's a complicated issue here as housing is definitely viewed more as a right than in the USA, and honestly I'm really glad that the streets aren't full of homeless camps like they were when I lived in Oakland and SF.

Re: Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

#52

Post by crote »

golergka wrote: post #6

Why would anyone invest in development in a country with such laws?

Unless you plan on essentially abandoning your investment, it really isn't a big deal in practice.

If you live in the home yourself, someone can't squat in it. If you rent it out, someone can't squat in it. If you install any kind of security system, you'll know someone is trying to squat in time to actually do something about it. Got a long-term investment you're planning to renovate? Rent it out as "anti-squat": way cheaper price, but you provide essentially zero services and can kick them out at any time, so essentially a live-in security guard.

Re: Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

#53

Post by toomuchtodo »

hichamdoe wrote: post #47

This is bullshit. I'm dev from Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain) and the squatting topic is periodically being pumped up by the same dumb bastards (always the same companies and media). Squatting exists at the city but it is not an issue in the daily lifes of Barcelona and Spain citizens, only for the fucking big owners with more than 10 flats each. Squatting happens because this bastards (big owners) are inflating the fl…

Does Spain have any affordable housing or non market housing efforts to keep units out of the hands of market owners?

Re: Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

#57

Post by hichamdoe »

diggan wrote: post #39
ssijak wrote: post #33

This is pure madness. So you have 48 hours after squatting started to report it and potentially get a fast eviction (why is it not an automatic criminal case for breaking into the property is beyond me). But after 48 hours it seems like it becomes a nightmare. So if you are on a business trip for 3 days or visiting parents in a different city or vacationing for a few days and somebody enters your home, you are out of…

As always, there are always multiple sides to any issue. Another commentator put it better than I could: > The reasoning behind this is that some shady landlords might try to claim that genuine tenants are squatters in order to get rid of them. There are plenty of desperate people who'd accept a verbal contract and payment in cash, after all. Not that hard of a choice when the alternative is being homeless. Oh, but y…

+1

Re: Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

#58

Post by ggpsv »

golergka wrote: post #42
codetrotter wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Basically, if you buy property, make sure to close it and install a security system. If okupas appear, do the "legal fasttrack" and get them out within 48 hours and it won't be an issue. And also, if you’re gonna buy property please do so to actually live there yourself or to house a business that you own and actually operate. Don’t buy houses to rent them out. Don’t buy houses because you think that letting it sit…

You've listed all the ways to make sure no new houses are built. Update: > And also, if you’re gonna buy property please do so to actually live there yourself or to house a business that you own and actually operate. This means that I can't rent. But as a person who lives somewhere, or a person who operates a business, I'd rather rent than own — I don't want to have all the headache of owning the property, and I don'…

This is not the only way. See Vienna's public housing system as an example of what else can be done.

Re: Squatting in Spain: Understanding Spain's "okupas" problem

#59

Post by giantg2 »

ggpsv wrote: post #48
giantg2 wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The easy fix here is to require property contracts in writing and to be filed with the government and educate everyone on that point. We already do this for property sales to avoid these very issues on ownership. The same thing for leasing would provide better protections for both parties.

That is how it actually works in Spain. You must present the contract when you legally register as a citizen in the city's town hall. That doesn't stop people from circumventing this requirement, on either side of the contract.

Thanks for that info! So why is this such a big problem? Is it just that the government doesn't want to trust it's own records? If people are bypassing the law, I would think it reasonable to allow the consequences to transpire - eg evicted if you don't have a written contract.
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