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Meet Madrid’s anti-eviction warriors

Leah Pattem shares what it's like to be on the front line of an eviction.

Published: 24 January 2019 13:46 CET
Meet Madrid's anti-eviction warriors
All photos by Leah Pattem
I’d heard on the radio that there was going to be an eviction at 11 am, just a five-minute walk from where I live. I turned on TeleMadrid and their cameras were already there. I put on my coat, grabbed my camera and said to my other half, “look out for me on the TV”.

Rosa, who’d been living in her three-bedroom flat on Calle Argumosa for more than 20 years, was the latest victim of property speculation. Her building had recently been bought up by investors demanding an increase in rent from €400 per month to €1,700 – a distorted hike with one objective: eviction.

Lavapiés, the neighbourhood that both Rosa and I live in, has always been – and still is – a working-class barrio. Most residential buildings here were quickly erected centuries ago to house a flood of economic migrants from elsewhere in Spain but, today, these buildings host some of the smallest flats in the country.

In recent decades, Lavapiés has also become home to migrants from Asia, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America. Walk through the narrow, sloping streets of Lavapiés and see spice shops and Latin diners oscillating between old traditional Spanish shops – it’s a beautiful neighbourhood, if you ignore the crime, filth and inequality.

READ MORE: The real reason why this Madrid barrio is the world's 'coolest' neighbourhood

I squeezed through the TV cameras filming Rosa, who’d come to join the 100-strong protest outside her flat, and found Carlos, the leader of this tactical operation. He explained to me that he believes, for being an EU country, Spain is quite unique in its cruelty, evicting families with young children.

There appear to be no laws in Spain that protect tenants from investors buying up their rented property and throwing them out. These evictions – one occurs every eight minutes – are even more disturbing when you realise that around 3.5 million properties currently sit empty across Spain.

I spoke to several others in the crowd; they were all victims of evictions. Their trauma and misery had quickly turned to anger, which led them to join Stop Desahucios, where Carlos (Pictured above in green) and his warriors convert rage into activism.

Stood outside the evictee’s home in their well-known red and green vests, the activists chant, scream and envelop the building in spray-painted bed sheets. They make the whole city aware of what the landlord is doing, which is humiliating and bad for business.

Stop Desahucios activists pull back tenants from the edge of losing everything. Their success further empowers them all and, in the process, they gain a new warrior.

Chanting suddenly turned to cheering and Rosa was absorbed into a crowd of hugs.

“We’ve won! The landlords negotiated with Rosa and she’s been given one more month to stay. So, we’ll be back here again in a month.”

In this building alone, Rosa is the tenth eviction that Stop Desahucios have either stopped or delayed, with a further two prevented in the last week, making Calle Argumosa 11 an iconic example of what this unstoppable force of people can achieve.

BE A WARRIOR

If your contract expires, your landlord wants to increase your rent and you accept their increase, you’ve become part of the problem. Negotiate hard. This comes with undeniable risk: if you lose, you’re out and someone else will turn up willing to pay the price you walked away from, so stop them: negotiate to stay for what you believe is a fair price.

READ MORE: Renting property in Spain: Know your rights as a tenant

If you anticipate eviction for any reason (speculation, job loss, personal crisis, rent increase), get in touch with Stop Desahucios. By fighting your battle, we come one step closer to winning the war.

INFO

  • Stop Desahucios are Spain-wide. Find your city’s organisation here.
  • For Madrid, find your neighbourhood group here and get involved by attending one of their upcoming events listed in the calendar.
  • Follow PAH (Plataformas de Afectados por la Hipoteca) on Facebook and Twitter.

See you there.

Leah Pattem is the founder of Madrid No Frills, a blog that celebrates those overlooked corners of Madrid untouched by the gentrification and modernization that has transformed the city in recent decades.

To discover stories that reveal the grittier, real side of Spain's capital, follow her on the Madrid No Frills blog, on Facebook and in Instagram. 

IN PICS: Madrid's hostile anti-homeless architecture that you see everyday but don't even notice 

 

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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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