Eighteen Malaga families in block of flats at risk of eviction despite having no outstanding rent payments

They continue living in total uncertainty, waiting for the date their contracts expire. The block, built in 1958 and comprising 28 flats, is home to vulnerable groups, elderly people and residents on long-standing tenancy agreements.

According to the residents' spokesperson, Jessica Muñoz Jiménez, the new owners have stopped carrying out basic maintenance, forcing the tenants to bear the cost of repairs such as the replacement of boilers.

Furthermore, the residents' association alleges indirect coercion and a complete lack of communication on the part of the owner, who systematically ignores their letters, emails and messages. The residents say that the underlying intention is to convert the building for use as holiday flats or studio flats at market rents.

A few months ago, the residents attended a council meeting at the city hall to ask for help. After waiting for more than eight months, they have still not received a response or any alternatives from the local authorities.

The residents pay their rent of 500-700 euros between 1st and 5th of each month. They are not able to afford current market rents, which have reached 1,500 euros.

"This surge in prices, coupled with the general rise in the cost of basic utilities such as water, electricity, food, petrol and gas, makes it impossible to find alternative accommodation, even in outlying districts and with two incomes in the household," Muñoz stated in a telephone conversation with SUR.

"The psychological strain on residents is severe because of their deep-rooted family ties to the building," the spokesperson stated. Her husband represents the fourth generation of residents in the building and her 20-month-old daughter the fifth. "Leaving the flat with nowhere else to go is tantamount to ending up on the streets," Muñoz said.

Backed by the tenants' union, the residents remain determined to continue fighting to defend their right to affordable rent and decent housing. "We don't want anything handed to us on a plate. We pay our rent religiously. We fulfil our part of the contract. We're really struggling, we're at the end of our tether," the spokesperson stated.

Muñoz criticises the general direction in which the city's property and tourism markets are heading.

"I don't know at what point we've come to accept paying 1,500 euros in rent as normal. Malaga isn't Malaga any more. The people of Malaga are being driven out of their own city. We're not against tourism, nor are we against anyone wanting to make money from property, but they should use empty properties, not homes where people are living. We're not asking for any special rights. If we had alternatives, we'd take them. It would be better than this constant anxiety. We, and I stress this, owe nothing to anyone," she stated.

Where does the conflict stem from? In 2024, Geslau S. L. acquired the building or, more precisely, the 23 flats that are rented out of a total of 28 in the block, as the other five are owner-occupied.

When the building was constructed in the late 1950s, it began operating as a rental property. The first owner faced foreclosure proceedings. The property was put up for auction. Some tenants exercised their right to purchase their flats and the rest of the flats were transferred to a second company, which, in 2024, sold the 23 flats to the current owner.

The sole director of the company, who has three other companies in his name, told SUR in March that his intention was to invest in renovating the property and putting it back on the market, all the while treating people with respect.

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