THE conservative Partido Popular(PP) has claimed that Malaga’s rental housing supply is drying up because owners are worried about squatters.

Malaga’s PP president, Patricia Navarro, says that concerns about an illegal occupation and the hassle involved in evicting people has depressed the rental market.

Navarro stated that Malaga province suffers 450 illegal occupations per annum, based on Interior Ministry figures.

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She says that greater legal certainty on dealing with squatters is needed with over 150,000 empty properties in the area..

“The fear of squatting removes homes from the market because owners feel unprotected,” observed Navarro.

She added that many families prefer to close a second home closed rather than face a possible prolonged occupation.

The politician also called for a distinction large holders and those who have invested their savings in a single extra home to boost their income.

Navarro blamed the national Housing Law for causing a climate of insecurity among owners.

She believes the regulations have discouraged some people from renting out their properties for fear of not being able to recover them quickly in the event of people not paying rent or being occupied by squatters.

Navarro added that boosting the confidence of owners would help to expand the supply and relieve the pressure on those looking for a property.

She recently had talks with PP Congress deputy and shadow Interior Minister, Ana Vazquez, who is trying to push through an anti-squatting law.

The proposal would allow evictions to be carried out within 24 hours and for utilities to be cut off promptly.

Vazquez said there are over 16,000 illegal occupations per year in Spain and that the PP initiative would deal with the issue.

Though it has been approved by the Senate, it needs to go through Congress, but a vote has been postponed some 84 times.

“The squatter must be squatted and the owner must be protected,” Vazquez proclaimed.

She has called on Interior Minister, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, to make the position easier for the police to intervene if her proposal is not approve.

This in turn would allow immediate action against illegal occupations as well easing fears of property owners.

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