Alfonso Rodríguez, president of the consumer association Consubal, claims that "many landlords are extorting their tenants".
Pointing to cases of landlords now renting out rooms rather than whole properties, Rodríguez says tenants are being "evicted" because of "exorbitant price increases", even though contracts haven't expired, "something completely illegal". "Tenants are leaving out of fear and because they are unaware of the regulations. Landlords threaten to call the police if they don’t leave the apartment.
"Many small landlords in Mallorca have become mini-speculators." He gives the example of a three-bedroom apartment in Son Oliva (Palma). The monthly rent is 900 euros. "But the landlord imposes a huge increase on the tenant to force them to leave, and once they succeed, they start renting out rooms by the room, even dividing up the living room and putting five rooms on the rental market. If they rent them out for 600 euros a month, they earn 3,000 euros."
Rodríguez explains that four out of five complaints lodged with Consubal have to do with housing. "The rent cannot be raised above the CPI if the contract is in effect; it is illegal." He urges those affected to take legal action and notes that the most affected by these practices are young immigrants. "The landlord tells them he will raise the rent by 300 or 400 euros, which they cannot do because the contract is still valid. If they don't accept, they'll have to leave or the police will be called. It's illegal and deplorable."
Another common problem is that "many landlords are refusing to return the deposit when the tenant leaves, citing completely unjustified reasons". He encourages those affected to go to Consubal, where they will draft a lawsuit free of charge to file in court. "They don't even need a lawyer. Legal action is the only solution."
Rodríguez believes that the Balearic Government's housing policy is not helping. "The government's programmes are not delivering the promised results. On the contrary, access to housing is becoming increasingly difficult." He is calling on the government to declare the whole of the Balearics a "stressed zone". This is the mechanism under Spanish housing law by which rent caps can be implemented. He maintains that rental prices in Catalonia have been lowered as a result of this policy, although not by as much as had been anticipated.