In 2019, Jordi Chalé inherited a 218-bed hotel and three adjacent apartment blocks in Cala d'Or. But there was a problem. All the apartments had squatters.
Four years on and he has been unable to recover the apartments. The law protects the squatters. As for the hotel, there was damage and there were various robberies. It had to be stripped. Doors, windows, sinks, toilets, showers were removed, so that squatters couldn't move in. Even this wasn't entirely successful. Four uninhabitable apartments in the hotel have squatters. Jordi says that these include children, to whom Santanyi social services have given their assistance.
A foreign company was interested in renting the hotel, but nothing happened. Who would rent a hotel with squatters? Jordi can't renovate, rent, or sell. Meanwhile he has to pay for water and electricity. He has to pay taxes, such as that for waste collection.
He has tried negotiating with the squatters but to no avail. He has been threatened. Therefore, when he goes to the properties, he wears a Go-Pro camera. "It's my insurance, as any attack would be recorded."
He has reported the case to the mayor. There is now a risk of the buildings collapsing. She has told him that she can't do anything, even with technical reports of a potential incident. He reported the case to the Guardia Civil, who referred him to the courts. And the courts, instead of combining all the cases into one, treat them individually. So when a favourable ruling is finally given and squatters have to move out, other squatters immediately move in.
He has lodged more than a hundred reports. Meanwhile, he continues to receive the bills. And there are then the complaints from neighbours. He says that he can no longer pay. What with the cost of lawyers, judicial procedures, boarding up premises and emptying them, surveillance and alarm systems, he has spent more than half a million euros.
Jordi says that some of the squatters are workers - temporary ones from tourist establishments in the area. Others are squatters plain and simple and without employment. While temporary workers leave at the end of the season, "the majority never plan to leave". "More than one has rented out an apartment. The worst thing is that children who don't go to school live in the apartments."
He feels totally helpless and let down by the authorities. He has contacted a company that specialises in removing squatters, "but they told me that, as things stand, it wouldn't be feasible".
The hotel and apartments have come to be known as the Son Banya of Cala d'Or. Jordi says that there have been quite a few problems with some of those who live in his properties. The nickname, with its obvious drugs connotations, does nothing to benefit Cala d'Or, be this for residents, tourism or investment. The town hall, the Balearic government, the Council of Mallorca - none of them will like the nickname. But this is how it is.
The laws protect the squatters. "But what laws protect us against squatters?" The authorities say they regret the situation he finds himself in, but the most he has got so far are words of encouragement. When will those with the capacity to solve problems such as Jordi's demonstrate the will to solve them and stop looking the other way?
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It isn't just rents hey squatters take over it is owned property that you may not be in, like if only use it for the summer/winter, imagine your surprise when you come back for 6 months to find someone squatting in you place.
Totally agree. And it could get even worse as Ada Colau, the former Lady Mayor of Barcelona, who allowed and even promoted squatting and squatters in her city has been proposed as the new housing minister in the new leftist national government. The other down side is that many owners of properties are afraid to reprimand their renters if they are noisy, deal drugs or have barking dogs etc, in case they get annoyed and decide to stop paying the rent and refuse to leave when due. This affects the quality of life of everybody else in the building or neighbourhood.
Sadly, this is probably one of the main reasons why people can’t risk renting properties out. The laws protecting renters and squatters (particularly those with children) mean that owners have few if any rights. Even over their own properties. Law abiding owners and renters are suffering as a result. It doesn’t matter how many decrees the government issues, for most it’s just too risky to rent. Government need to address this issue and stop using decrees and press releases - that sound good, but do nothing. It’s not just owners. If they can’t rent out their properties, the law abiding nice folk who need homes won’t have anywhere to rent. Food for thought.