The occupation of inhabited houses or second homes is known as burglary; the occupation of empty houses, as a crime of usurpation, and a tenant who does not pay his rent is not, legally, a squatter, but a person who breaches a civil contract and as such must be resolved in that way. Despite the differences, all these circumstances are conceived as occupation and there are more and more Spaniards who fear being victims of this phenomenon.
Specifically, one in four believes that there is a “medium or high” chance that they will occupied their home (24%), according to a study carried out by Insurance Direct Line from the results of 1,700 surveys carried out throughout Spain. According to the report, 77% of those interviewed believe that this phenomenon is already a social problem in our country and only 8% consider that it is a “residual phenomenon without major significance that is usually exaggerated for political reasons.”
The company, which launched an insurance anti-squatting At the beginning of summer, it has observed in its daily life the growth of concern, to the point that “more than half” of the users who take out a home policy with them demand coverage for occupation. “Especially for first homes and in areas where more cases are recorded,” he explained. But Garr, director of People, Communication and Sustainability of Línea Directa Aseguradora, in the presentation of the data this Tuesday.
The conclusions of the survey show the duality with which the occupation in Spain, halfway between the photography shown by the numbers and the feeling of lack of protection that has been generated in society. According to the data, in the last five years – between 2018 and 2022 – more than 75,000 complaints regarding this issue have been accumulated in the country, 37% more; However, in 2022, the number of complaints (2,785) was lower than the 3,478 in 2021, 3,446 in 2020 and 4,017 in 2019.
On the other hand, the perception of insecurity on the part of the owners has been increasing. 77% of those surveyed believe that the occupation It is already a social problem in Spain and almost a third, 31%, claim to know another person who has been affected by this problem. Catalonia (83%), Andalusia (81%) y Cantabria (81%) are the territories where citizens are most alarmed by the proliferation of cases, according to Línea Directa Aseguradora, coinciding with the territories where the most complaints are registered: Catalonia (650), Andalusia (535) y Valencian Community (390).