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Date Published: 19/08/2022

Squatters go on their summer holidays to the coast of Murcia

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The Region of Murcia has experienced an explosion in squatting, with coastal areas targeted during the summer months

Squatters go on their summer holidays to the coast of Murcia

"People are terrified of putting 'for sale' signs on houses” in the Region of Murcia, according to Jerónimo Jover from the Official Association of Real Estate Agents, because of the striking rise in the number of squatters in the area this summer.

"It's like putting up a luminous sign calling the squatters," he said.

The occupation of empty houses has exploded across Spain as a whole this year, possibly as a result of rising costs and inflation, and squatting in the Region of Murcia “is currently experiencing its peak.”

The issue is particularly pronounced in coastal areas, where those unwilling or unable to pay for accommodation actually “summer” in Murcia “for free,” occupying someone else’s home, often damaging it in the process.

Until the owners arrive, that is, who are frequently “forced to pay those who have entered their house for them to leave, so here squatters do a double business.”

Murcia is one of the communities where squatting has increased the most in recent months, but the Association has heard from home owners in Catalonia, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Valencia and Madrid that the practice is also on the rise there.

Mr Jover points out that people feel their hands are tied, and that squatters have more legal rights than owners do. He has called on the regional government to make significant changes so that home owners can hire security companies that are allowed to "act directly in these situations, since many agents feel powerless and do not act for fear of what may happen if they end up before a judge."

He insists that the Administration is responsible for avoiding these situations by building more social housing and granting rent allowances, and has asked the Spanish Government to take urgent action to "defend the right to private property."

Image: Pixabay

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Vesta specialize in intrusion and squatter protection protecting holiday homes while owners are away

Failure to take immediate action against squatters can result in heartbreak and great expense for holiday homeowners

For many people owning a holiday property in Spain is a luxury to be enjoyed at certain times of year and perhaps a source of rental income at other times, but occasionally the dream can turn into a nightmare when squatters occupy homes which are left unoccupied and prove very hard to evict.

Unfortunately, the problem of squatters (or “okupas”) is becoming more and more common in Spain. It is calculated that an average of around 40 homes per day are being illegally occupied throughout the country, and without specialized assistance it can take years for rightful owners to reclaim their properties.

During the pandemic, with second homes and holiday homes remaining unoccupied for longer periods due to travel restrictions, the phenomenon has become even more widespread, and professional gangs are entering properties and then illegally selling on the keys to occupants.

Vesta Vigilar squatter protection for holiday homes in the Spanish Costas Fortunately, though, a few companies have become experts in helping homeowners to deal with the situation, and Vesta Vigilar is specializing in helping expat owners along the Mediterranean coast all the way from Valencia through the Costa Blanca, the Costa Cálida, the Costa de Almería and the Costa Tropical to Estepona in the Costa del Sol.

In the issue of squatting prevention is better than cure, and Vesta Vigilar offer advanced 24/7 professional monitoring of your holiday home in Spain. While the aim is to protect against home invasion, should your home be targeted by squatters the legal team at Vesta Vigilar are ready to document, report and fight on your behalf, ensuring you get complete squatter protection, that you regain possession of your holiday home as soon as possible, while providing full support throughout the entire process.

It is a fact that if your home is occupied by Spanish squatters you need to act fast. The law states that they can be evicted legally by the local authorities within the first 48 hours if the case is reported correctly, but otherwise “squatters’ rights” kick in and it is obligatory to initiate a lengthy legal process which can last for anything between six months and three years.

In the meantime, owners are left facing bills, mortgage payments and a long period of stress and worry.

For this reason it is vital to ensure that you do everything possible to avoid your property being occupied, and to ensure that if it does happen is the incident is reported immediately and correctly.

Home protection with Vesta Vigilar

The home protection scheme created by Vesta Vigilar includes the installation of high-quality cameras in the most suitable areas of your home, each camera communicating with a main server. This enables operators to contact the owner immediately if an unwanted occupant is detected and to document all reported activity in order to be able to compile a full report for the police and local authorities.

Vesta Vigilar squatter protection for holiday homes in the Spanish Costas By granting power of attorney to the legal team of Vesta Vigilar you can be sure that all procedures are professionally and correctly carried out, guaranteeing effective protection. Even if immediate eviction is not achieved, they will fight the case in the Spanish courts at no additional cost.

In addition, the intruders are contacted immediately through the communication system included in the cameras and are informed that the property they have entered has an extensive squatter protection: this is often enough to ensure that they leave without further action being taken.

Contact Vesta Vigilar without further delay (office opening hours 9.00 to 17.00) to find out more about the protection they offer against home invasion and squatters in Spain: apart from Spanish, their multilingual staff are fluent in English, Scandinavian languages and Russian and they are continually expanding their services to cover more languages as demand for their services grows.