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IN PICS: Drone photography reveals haunting beauty of Spain’s unfinished housing

Spanish photographer Markel Redondo has travelled the length and breadth of Spain photographing abandoned housing projects from the air.

Published: 3 September 2018 17:03 CEST
IN PICS: Drone photography reveals haunting beauty of Spain’s unfinished housing
Sand Castles (part II). © Markel Redondo.

The result are a collection of haunting images that reveal the wasteland left when Spain’s housing bubble spectacularly burst in 2007.


Sand Castles (part II). © Markel Redondo.

A decade long construction boom saw swathes of Spanish coast and countryside concreted over in a building frenzy that made Spain into one of the fastest growing economies in Europe.


Sand Castles (part II). © Markel Redondo.

Easy credit and the promise of short-term financial rewards saw Spain, at its peak in 2006, build more new homes than France, Germany and the UK put together.

READ MORE: Spain's property market just recovered to pre-crisis levels 

But when the bubble burst and the 2008 financial crisis hit, construction companies went into liquidation leaving banks saturated with toxic assets of properties they were unable to sell, even at rock bottom prices.


Sand Castles (part II). © Markel Redondo

Some 3.4 million houses still stand empty or were never finished in skeletal developments that are scattered across Spain outside denser urban centres.

It is these derelict housing projects that Redondo chose to photograph after winning the DJI Drone Photography Award.


Sand Castles (part II). © Markel Redondo.

Using a DJI Phantom 4 Pro drone, Redondo spent a fortnight traversing Spain to visit abandoned building projects he had first photographed a decade ago.

The resulting aerial footage was “mind-blowing”, said Redondo.

“I knew the developments were big, but I could not imagine their true extent. I had seen them from Google Earth, but a drone captures different angles and details,” he said in an interview with the British Journal of Photography (BJP).

WATCH: In this video the photographer explains his project.

He hopes the footage will have an impact.

“It is important to understand that this is not an isolated problem; it is something that has happened systematically across Spain. We need to ask why this is still happening and how we are going to fix the problem,” he said.

Sand Castles (part II)  is being exhibited at the DJI Drone Photography Award exhibition at The Print Space gallery in east London until April 18th.

Sand Castles (part II). © Markel Redondo.

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RENTING

The rules and small print for a rental contract for a room in Spain

Renting a room in Spain can often be easier and cheaper than trying to rent a whole apartment or house for yourself, but there are still several things you need to look out for in your rental contract and small print clauses you need to be aware of.

Published: 17 September 2024 09:28 CEST
The rules and small print for a rental contract for a room in Spain

Sharing a flat in Spain may of course not be your first choice; in 55 percent of cases people here do so because they can’t afford their own place. 

Renting a room is now almost 10 percent more expensive than a year ago, according to recent data published by property portal Idealista, costing almost double in 2024 than it did nine years ago.

The national average for renting a room is now €488 per month.

If you’ve come here to be a student or to learn Spanish though, renting a room can be excellent choice.

Due to Spain’s housing crisis and financial constraints, renting a room is no longer only an option for young people in Spain. In fact, in 2022 Idealista found that the average of a person sharing a home in Spain was 34. 

READ ALSO: Renting a room in Spain costs 90% more than in 2015

Renting a room is increasingly popular in Spain, especially in those cities where rent is very high, such as in regional capitals. 

While your contract for renting a room may not be extensive as renting a whole property, it’s still very important that you have one to make sure that you’re protected.

A room rental agreement not only ensures that both parties are clear about their rights and responsibilities, but also avoids potential misunderstandings and conflicts.

Typically, when you are renting una habitación, your room will be your space, but you will have shared access common areas such as the kitchen, living room and bathroom. 

READ ALSO – Aval: How to get a bank guarantee to rent a property in Spain

Factors to keep in mind when renting a room in Spain:

Tenants do not have the right to continue to live in the home beyond what is stipulated in the contract, so your landlord will have greater control over the property.

It is important that the room rental contract specifies the purpose of renting the room and how long it’s for. Generally, this type of rental is regulated by the Civil Code, but it could also be subject to the Urban Lease Law (LAU), even though the existence of this type of lease is not specified.

The room should include basic furniture, and the landlord is responsible for paying the bills initially, although they may be included in the rent.

There’s no minimum legal content that room rental contracts must contain, and it is not even mandatory for it to be in writing. But it is still advisable to get one in writing in order avoid future problems.

READ ALSO: The pros and cons of signing a temporary rental contract in Spain 

According to property website Idealista, room rental contracts should contain these following elements:

  • The duration of the contract.
  • A statement saying exactly which room is being rented out.
  • The rental price, as well as the payment method with which the tenant will pay the rent and when it will be due each month.
  • The services that are included, such as the use of the kitchen and being able to connect to the internet.
  • It’s also important that there’s a clause to say how payments should be divided in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
  • It must be indicated if subletting the room is allowed or not. As stated in the Civil Code this may be possible if your contract doesn’t specifically state that you can’t.
  • If the property is rented by several people, the contract must be formalised between all tenants through a single rental contract and tenants will appear in the same contract.

READ ALSO: Is subletting legal in Spain? 

How to tell if a room rental contract is legal in Spain

For a room rental agreement to be legal, it must contain the following information:

  • Full names, DNI or NIE number, address and telephone number of both the landlord and the tenant.
  • Specify the exact address of the home, the rented room and the common areas the tenant has access to.
  • The start and end date of the contract.
  • The amount of the deposit and the return conditions. It is not mandatory to provide a deposit, but landlords can request it.
  • The monthly rent, the payment method and how to make the payment.
  • It must state who is responsible for the necessary works and repairs in the home.
  • A clause must be included stating who responsible for community expenses, water, electricity, gas, etc.
  • The text must state the conditions for termination of the contract, such as non-payment of rent or failure to comply with the rules or the landlord selling the property.
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