The unveiling of a 43-story building in Tijoco Bajo, in the Tenerife municipality of Adeje, has exposed a serious issue related to the housing crisis that Canary Islands are facing: the irregular practices of squatting gangs.
The spokesperson for the company that in less than 30 days reached an agreement with all the people who illegally occupied these houses, some for over 10 years, narrates: among the squatters there were those who arrived in high-end cars -Mercedes, Audis-, one had three motorcycles and some profited by offering them as holiday rentals. Additionally, a significant portion of the squatted houses were managed by organised groups that were asking for 450 Euros for the rent.
The company in the Canary Islands dedicated to evicting squatters and returning the homes to their rightful owners already refurbished is named Ezproperty Solutions. It was established in Fuerteventura but is now operating across all the islands. They have posted a video on their Instagram profile showing the staff involved in this operation in Tijoco Bajo on the rooftops and during the recovery and renovation of the homes.
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The manager is Roberto Pérez. He explains that “in less than a month we managed, through negotiation, to convince the people occupying these houses in Tijoco Bajo that they had to leave because they simply didn’t own them”. “There was someone who threatened us, one of them with a knife. There wasn’t a single Canarian among the hundred people living there irregularly. In fact, we provided documentation for them to vacate the homes in five different languages”, emphasised the spokesperson for Ezproperty Solutions.
He also asserts that some of the individuals occupying these homes seemed to have a high-paced lifestyle, not characteristic of someone who squats out of necessity. “There were high-end cars and large displacement motorcycles in the garages, and some were profiting by offering the flats as holiday lets. For instance, a Russian had four of these homes that were offered for tourism,” he explains, adding: “In around ten cases, they were indeed vulnerable individuals with few resources, some with minors under their care. We have offered them housing options. We are particularly concerned about cases involving children.”
Pérez wants to emphasise that they are not strictly a desquatting company. “We return properties to their rightful owners through negotiation and ensure they are handed over in the best possible condition,” he underscores.
This is not the first entire building they have reclaimed. The list is growing after 15 years of experience in the real estate sector: a building with 44 residences in Tarajalejo (Fuerteventura), another with 22 in Playa del Inglés (Gran Canaria), one with 17 in San Isidro (Granadilla, Tenerife) and others with fewer properties throughout the Canary Islands.
East Tojoco Bajo, in Adeje, was purchased while the squatters were still inside, in July of last year, by some investors.
“Once they proved they had completed the purchase, they hired us and will now receive the building already repaired and ready to enter the legal market,” details Roberto Pérez.
These are the same investors who have acquired another ‘squatted’ building in the south of Tenerife, specifically a 16-storey one in San Isidro, in the Granadilla de Abona municipality. This is one of the new assignments for Ezproperty Solutions, a company that now has 19 employees.
The issue of squatting is particularly affecting the most touristic municipalities in Tenerife. For example, the case of the 210 people from the 90 families who occupied the 44 residences in the Chasna building, in Costa del Silencio (Arona), and were evicted on 12th March due to the decision of the 3rd Instance Court of Arona. In this instance, the majority of people are in a vulnerable situation.
The property, occupying numbers 8 and 10 on Chasna Street, is affected by structural weakness (aluminosis) and the risk of collapse, as documented in reports issued by the Municipal Urban Planning Office in 2021.
Two months later, some of these families are still living in the vicinity of the Arona building, awaiting alternative housing. They argue that it is impossible to find a home at an affordable rent, in a real estate market where rental options are becoming scarcer and prices are sky-high.
These types of companies are being increasingly hired by Canarians to reclaim their properties due to ongoing delays through the regular channels to achieve this.
