A special anti-squatter office is to be set up in Benalmadena following a surge in cases along the Costa del Sol.
The Oficina de Antiokupacion was approved by the town council after being backed by the Partido Popular and hard-right party Vox.
The new service aims to provide direct assistance to residents facing illegal occupation of their properties.
Malaga and the Costa del Sol consistently appear among the regions with the highest number of court cases linked to squatting.
What will the new office do?
According to councillor for Housing Jose Luis Bergillos, the office will act as an information point with two core functions.
Support for affected homeowners:
- Residents whose properties have already been occupied will receive legal and technical guidance on the steps needed to reclaim their homes.
Preventive advice:
- Property owners planning to rent out their homes will be guided on how to minimise risks and strengthen legal safeguards, with the broader aim of stimulating the local rental market.
The initiative also includes public awareness campaigns to ‘inform citizens about existing legal mechanisms and prevention tools.’
Requests to the central government
Alongside creating the municipal office, the motion includes a series of requests to other administrations.
Benalmadena will seek external technical and legal assistance to reinforce the service.
At the national level, the municipality urges the Spanish Government to review both the State Housing Law and the Anti-Eviction Law, arguing that reforms are needed to ‘protect private property and guarantee legal certainty’ for homeowners.
Read more Costa del Sol news at the Spanish Eye.
