In early January this year, unanimous approval was given at a council meeting in Deya for the creation of a housing trust to make available affordable rented accommodation for residents of the municipality.
Under the scheme, owners can cede properties to the town hall for an initial period of five years. The town hall will pay owners 6.30 euros per square metre per month up to a maximum of 923 euros monthly rent. Tenants can then rent from the town hall, paying a maximum of 20 to 30 per cent of their monthly income. Owners can also enjoy a 95% discount on the rates.
This is the plan, but only one owner has at present offered a property to the town hall. Meanwhile, there have been fifteen applications for rented properties. The mayor, Lluís Apesteguía, confirms that this is the case, but notes that the board of trustees for managing these properties has not yet been constituted, suggesting that it is too early to give figures.