The president of Andalucia has sparked debate after saying tenants who stop paying rent should no longer be allowed to remain in the property.
Juanma Moreno argued that Spain needs stronger legal protection for landlords and criticised the long delays involved in eviction proceedings.
He made the comments in an interview with newspapers ABC, Ideal and Diario Sur.
He said: ‘If tomorrow I let you my home and the second month you stop paying me, I have to fork out on lawyers… and it takes me a year kick you out… or even three, because if there are children in the house etc etc…
‘This is, seriously, a nonsense, in Europe it does not work like this.’
He said that it should really be ‘very simple’, adding: ‘The tenant pays you, they can keep on living there… the tenant doesn’t pay you, they cannot live there anymore.
‘This, for me, seems super reasonable and is what is done throughout the West, but not here.’
The regional leader insisted that protecting property rights in this way would bring Spain more in line with other Western countries, where he says eviction processes are handled more quickly.
Moreno’s comments come amid an ongoing political debate in Spain over housing policy, balancing stronger protections for tenants – particularly vulnerable households – with calls from landlords for faster action against rent arrears.
The issue has become increasingly contentious as rising housing costs and rental shortages continue to put pressure on Spain’s property market.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
