The president of the National Federation of Real Estate Associations (FAI), José María Alfaro, described the problem during the presentation in Zaragoza of the rental market study carried out with Aportalia. He said industry professionals had been observing it more frequently over the past two or three years, although he did not provide a number of cases for the province.
Alfaro used the expression "precarious tenant" to refer to these situations. His explanation focuses on people who, once the contract has expired and the intention to recover the property has been communicated, remain there because they lack an alternative they can find or afford.
THE DIFFICULTY OF LEAVING A RENTED PROPERTY
“Leaving a rented home may mean being unable to find another one,” said the FAI president. According to his assessment, the problem may even affect people with sufficient income, because the ability to pay is compounded by the availability of properties and competition among candidates seeking the same home.
The study’s data help put this context into perspective. Rent is agreed at an average of 817.39 euros per month, compared with the 715.22 euros initially budgeted by those interested. In addition, agencies estimate that 16.3% of people looking for a home have shifted their search to nearby municipalities because of prices and the shortage of supply in Zaragoza.
CONFLICTS OVER RECOVERING THE PROPERTY
Alfaro said that some of these cases end in court proceedings to recover the property, even though the occupants continue to pay. The sector representative described this situation as a source of conflict for both parties, without providing a count of lawsuits or data on their development in Zaragoza.
Available supply accounts for much of the associations’ concern. In a survey conducted after the decrees mentioned during the presentation, 91.7% of the Zaragoza agencies consulted said they had detected homes being withdrawn from the long-term rental market, while 70.8% reported halted contract signings. These are percentages of agencies that observed such incidents and do not make it possible to calculate how many homes have been permanently withdrawn.
