Squatting in Malaga hits over 450 new cases a year: Demands for 24-hour evictions to protect homeowners

Patricia Navarro, president of the centre-right Popular Party, Malaga branch, has raised concerns about the increasing number of squatting incidents in the province. The latest figures from the Interior Ministry (Spanish Home Office) indicate there is an average of 450 illegal home occupations annually, equivalent to more than one each day. She linked this trend directly to more than 150,000 empty properties across Malaga, arguing that widespread fear keeps many homes off the rental market.

Growing impact on local housing supply

Navarro met with Ana Vazquez, the PP’s interior spokesperson in Congress, to discuss the issue. Both politicians stressed how squatting affects the province’s housing shortage. Fear of squatters, sometimes called ‘inquiokupación’ in Spain, discourages owners, especially holiday home owners, from renting out properties because they feel exposed without stronger legal safeguards. Many individuals have invested life savings in second homes to supplement income or cover mortgages, yet they now hesitate to enter the rental market.

The pair criticised the national housing law introduced under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. They claimed it has encouraged a sense of impunity among those wanting to squat properties and has reduced incentives for owners to offer their second homes for rent.

Law faces repeated blocks in parliament

Vazquez described national squatting statistics as alarming, with more than 16,000 new cases recorded across Spain each year. She pointed to an anti-squatting law already approved in the Senate. That legislation has faced blockage 84 times in Congress. If enacted, it would enable evictions within 24 hours, bar squatters from official registration at the address, and permit utility disconnections in homes being squatted.

“Evict the squatter and protect the owner,” Vazquez stated. She urged the Sanchez government to tackle both the squatting problem and the broader shortage of available homes. Legal certainty remains essential, she said, so that people who have saved throughout their lives to buy a property can rent it out safely and temporarily.

National housing deficit expected to worsen

Spain is currently suffering a shortfall of around 750,000 homes, with Bank of Spain projections indicating the gap could reach one million by 2030. Vazquez called for immediate legal protections that allow people to rent without excessive risk. She also demanded a rapid anti-squatting protocol for national security forces.

Should parliament continue to reject the PP bill, Vazquez argued that Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska should and could implement such a protocol without delay. This step would empower the police to enter properties immediately, remove illegal occupants, and defend owners’ rights.

Criticism of security leadership and resource shortages

Vazquez also claimed that both Marlaska and the director of the Guardia Civil should have already resigned on grounds of dignity. She accused elements within the leadership of operating like internal networks that hinder proper investigations into corruption cases. At the same time, she praised ordinary Guardia Civil officers on the street who combat narcotrafficking daily along the Andalucian coast despite outdated equipment and limited support.

Malaga province is said to lack around 1,200 Guardia Civil and National Police personnel, while Andalucia as a whole needs more than 5,000 additional officers. Vazquez called for extra resources to strengthen the fight against drug trafficking, described as one of the region’s most serious problems.

Call for implementation of stronger measures

British residents and other second-home owners on the Costa del Sol often have the same worries about property security and rental availability. Stronger measures could help restore confidence among owners who currently keep homes vacant rather than risk occupation. The debate continues to centre on balancing owner protections with broader housing needs in the province.