Illegal occupation of housing is one of the most pressing problems in the Spanish real estate market. According to an analysis by idealista for the third quarter of 2025, approximately 23 thousand apartments and houses already occupied by so-called squatters and at the same time put up for sale. This amounts to about 3 % from all objects in the Spanish real estate market.
The real figure could be much higher. Experts estimate that tens of thousands of buildings, houses, and apartments across the country are in a state of illegal occupation. However, official centralized statistics are not published annually because there is no unified system for recording such cases, as there is for ordinary crimes.
Which regions were most affected?
The problem is unevenly distributed across Spain. The highest number of illegal occupations are recorded in:
- Catalonia — the region with the highest concentration of such cases
- Andalusia
- Valencia
- Madrid
- and other autonomous communities
On popular real estate websites, you can increasingly find the mark "occupied by squatters", which indicates the scale of the problem.
How does this affect owners and the market?
Illegal occupation creates many difficulties for legal owners:
- Reduced sale prices. Some owners are forced to sell their homes at a significantly lower price due to legal uncertainty and complicated eviction procedures.
- Long legal proceedings. Returning one's own house or apartment can take months, and sometimes years, especially if squatters prove that they have been living in the property for a long enough time.
- Risks in the secondary market. Even when purchasing an apartment from the secondary market, the buyer may encounter a situation where the apartment is already illegally occupied.
- Economic losses. Owners cannot receive income from renting out their apartment or using their property.
Why this is a serious problem
Illegal occupation not only violates property rights, but also affects the overall stability of the real estate market. When owners are not sure that they will be able to safely dispose of their property, it reduces the investment attractiveness of the sector and creates uncertainty for all market participants.
Spanish law allows for the eviction of illegal occupants, but the process is often complicated and lengthy, giving squatters time to establish themselves in the property.
This problem remains one of the biggest challenges for the Spanish property rights protection system and requires more effective solutions at the state level.
