Homeowners in the Canary Islands are increasingly finding themselves locked out of their own properties after squatters move in – a problem that is growing in one of Ireland’s favourite holiday-home locations.
A Channel 4 “Unreported World” documentary revealed that many property owners are struggling to evict squatters, facing steep legal expenses and repair bills, and one man has even been forced to live in a shipping container rather than in his own home, reports Breaking News.
The crisis is unfolding as the Canary Islands’ housing market reaches breaking point, with soaring rents driven by a booming tourism sector, low wages and limited housing stock.
Spanish Property Insight reported that Irish buyers purchased 209 properties in the Canary Islands last year, reports Breaking News.
Speaking to BreakingNews.ie, Channel 4 journalist Anja Popp said many people have no idea how serious the issue has become.
“I didn’t know quite how much the law favours squatters, even though it’s illegal,” she said. “They essentially have more rights than owners after a few days. And it’s really hard and an expensive, laborious task to get them out”, reports Breaking News.
Under Spanish law, the right to a home is strongly protected, requiring owners to obtain a court order if squatters have been inside for more than 48 hours. Owners must also keep paying utility bills during the occupation or risk coercion charges.
Although the Anti-Okupa Law introduced in March 2025 is intended to strengthen protections for homeowners and speed up the eviction process, its implementation has been slow, reports Breaking News.
Margarita Domínguez, who owns a 92-bed hotel in Tenerife, has already spent more than €50,000 in legal fees trying to remove more than 200 squatters who took over the building.
The hotel had been empty for a short period while she prepared to sell it, during which time criminal gangs moved in and claimed control, reports Breaking News.
This is one of the most common ways squatting begins, Ms Popp explained. “[The criminal gangs] are doing the taking over of the building, but then they’re actually getting paid by tenants to live there. But obviously that none of that money is actually going to the owner of the property.”
In addition to the legal bills, Margarita is paying thousands every month for utilities – with her latest bill reaching nearly €6,000 – and she expects repair costs to run into hundreds of thousands. A fire last Saturday left sections of the hotel without electricity and water, reports Breaking News.
Margharita told Ms Popp that she had spoken directly with the gang, who demanded €250,000 and asked her to find alternative accommodation for the people inside.
A court order has now been issued requiring the squatters to leave the hotel by December 10th, almost a year after they first occupied the building, reports Breaking News.
Carlos, who is from nearby Gran Canaria, has been forced to live in a shipping container – extremely hot in summer and freezing in winter – after a squatter took over his house. The individual inside is a former tenant who stopped paying rent.
Even though Carlos secured a court order more than a year ago, he still can’t regain possession because the squatter uses a wheelchair, reports Breaking News.
“He got the court order a year before, so he hasn’t had rent for two years. He won the case to get them out a year ago, but they’re still in the house,” Ms Popp said.
The term “squatter” covers a wide range of situations – from organised gangs running illegal rentals to families priced out of the local housing market.
Ms Popp interviewed a woman who bought a property at a reduced price because squatters were already living inside – the only way she could afford to buy at all, reports Breaking News.
Many of those she spoke to were working low-paid tourism jobs, leaving them unable to meet rising rental costs. Others were migrants from countries such as Colombia.
And while some squatters could afford their own homes, others explained that occupying a property was the only way to avoid becoming homeless, reports Breaking News.
Ms Popp spoke with an anonymous single mother of three young children. “She paid money to live there and was told that the apartment was hers, only to find out that the person she paid didn’t own the property and she’s now effectively squatting,” Ms Popp said,
“She’s in a really desperate situation. She didn’t mean to squat, but she said, if I leave here then I’ll be living on the streets with my three young daughters.”
“Obviously squatting is horrible for the owners, but they’re not the only people that are victims of the housing crisis”, reports Breaking News.
Some property owners have turned to so-called “desokupa” groups – teams made up of bouncers, ex-convicts and tough enforcers who use intimidation tactics to pressure squatters into leaving.
While they cannot legally force squatters out, they can apply pressure through aggressive or unsettling methods, reports Breaking News.
In one case, they repeatedly visited a property and eventually blocked the entrance to a garage area, forcing squatters to move belongings and vehicles stored there.
Ms Popp described their tactics. “Putting pressure on [the squatters], making them feel uncomfortable, making them feel intimidated.
“They [the desokupas] work within the law, but just pushing the boundaries a bit and being a bit aggressive and loud and not particularly friendly. They want them to move out of their own volition”, reports Breaking News.
For vulnerable occupants, these encounters can be extremely frightening. Ms Popp said many squatters call police immediately to “put pressure” on the desokupas and ensure they “do everything by the book”, especially since many squatters feel the police tend to side with the desokupas.
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