Walter Finch
MORE than 20,000 properties that are currently occupied by squatters are listed for sale across Spain.
The figure represents 2.6% of the entire housing market, a groundbreaking new report reveals.
The data shows how widespread the once rare phenomenon of selling okupada homes has become in Spain’s property landscape, with Andalucia among the worst affected regions.
The report, by property portal idealista, is a first-of-its-kind study, meaning there is not yet enough data to track trends over time.
However, the snapshot it captures is stark, with a few key cities suffering greatly from the phenomenon.
Unsurprisingly, Barcelona province has the highest number of squatted homes for sale with 6,778 in total.
It’s followed by Madrid (1,389), Murcia (1,236), Alicante (1,160), Malaga (1,130), and Girona (1,101). These are the only provinces with more than 1,000 affected homes.
READ MORE: Outrage in Tenerife after squatters seize house of 87-year-old woman while she was in hospital
Yet while the largest and most popular cities suffer the most squatted properties for sale overall, the data indicates they are not necessarily the worst affected proportionally.
The Catalan city of Girona leads the way with the highest percentage of occupied properties on the market at 8.8%.
It is followed by Murcia (5.5%), Seville (4.7%), Almería (3.9%), and Malaga (3.8%).
Barcelona and Santa Cruz de Tenerife both sit at 3.5%, while Lleida and Valencia each record 3.4%.
Spain’s larger cities mostly sit below the national average: in Madrid, squatted homes represent 2.3% of all listings, in Alicante 2.1%, San Sebastián 1.3%, and in Bilbao just 1%.
For prospective buyers, the trend represents both a challenge and potential opportunity, with squatted properties typically selling at significant discounts – but carrying additional legal complications and risks.
Legal experts advise extreme caution when considering purchasing such properties, as eviction processes in Spain can be lengthy and complex, potentially taking years to resolve through the courts.
Francisco Iñareta, idealista spokesperson, said: “The data reveals the special relevance this phenomenon has for both the market itself and property owners’ perception.”
He added: “All messages aimed at minimising this reality, sometimes using unrealistic comparisons, not only fail to change market perception but also reinforce property owners’ sense of vulnerability and encourage more homes to disappear from the rental market.”
The study, conducted by idealista/data using text processing algorithms to identify properties meeting occupation criteria, represents the first attempt to quantify this growing issue in Spain’s property sector.
