In Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia, however, local residents are experiencing a different kind of problem to do with squatters, or ‘okupas’, as they are known in Spanish. Residents are fed up with the building next door being illegally occupied, and for one reason or another, the owners are failing to take action.
To solve this issue, the regional government plans to introduce new legislation that will allow neighbours of the occupied property, or even the town councils themselves, to file legal action against the squatters if they are causing trouble in the area, and get them out quickly.
Up until now, only the owner of a property could request an eviction, a lengthy and expensive process. With the new rules, if the authorities receive complaints from affected locals, they can demand that the landlord take action to have the squatters removed within one month. If they fail to do so, the affected neighbours, the community association or the town hall can take initiate legal proceedings for their removal.
Why is this a problem?
Most of the complaints in Catalonia involve industrial or commercial buildings owned by the banks or big businesses, who have nether the time nor the inclination to go to court to have the squatters removed. Illegal occupants frequently target these kinds of properties because they know the owners will leave them be for a long time.
What happens if an owner ignores the request of the authorities?
If the owner fails to take action within a month, they can be fined anywhere from 9,000 to 90,000 euros. If the local authorities or residents take the matter to court, the judge can also decide to force the landlord to pay all costs.
What will be done with the vacated buildings?
The intention of the government is that most of the properties with illegal squatters will become social housing for vulnerable individuals or families. In this way, the legislation will be doubly effective since it cleans up the neighbourhood while also sourcing more homes for social use.
Who is affected?
This legislative change only affects ‘criminal occupation’, that is, those that cause conflict in the community, which include threats, aggressiveness, coercion or violence, or carry out illegal activities on the premises.
After going through all of the usual processes, it’s expected that the new law will come into force in the next 6 to 8 months.
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