Paying 200 euros to have a bed, without a toilet and living with 30 people: New case of substandard housing in Mallorca

PalmaSleeping in a dwelling without a toilet, with beds installed in the hallways and in very poor conditions of hygiene and sanitation. This is the latest episode of the exploitation of substandard housing detected in Manacor. According to the people who resided in the house, at certain times they had lived with up to 30 people. Nine were identified during a joint inspection by the National Police and the Government's Housing Inspection service, which also found 24 beds and two rooms locked with keys.

According to the statement issued this Thursday by the National Police, the property presented serious deficiencies in sanitation and hygiene, in addition to "extremely poor" habitability conditions. Overcrowding was not the only problem: the house did not have such a basic element as a toilet or any other service; it was simply a heap of beds accumulated one after another to be able to economically exploit the entire space, taking advantage of the housing crisis being experienced in the Balearic Islands.

Up to 200 euros per month for a bed

The nine identified individuals explained to the agents that up to 30 people could be living in the dwelling, crowded into a space with 24 beds, some of which were installed in the hallways. They also declared that they paid to rent a bed and that the amounts ranged between 100 and 200 euros per month.

The inspection was carried out last week and involved the participation of National Police officers in Manacor and the Housing Inspection service of the Ministry of Housing, Territory and Mobility. The action allowed for the case to be addressed from both a police perspective and within the scope of the Government's powers regarding housing.

Fines of up to 90,000 euros

The Government has opened proceedings to subsequently initiate a sanctioning file. In accordance with the Housing Law of the Balearic Islands, the overcrowding of dwellings is classified as a very serious infringement, with fines that can range from 30,001 to 90,000 euros.

For the moment, it has not been communicated that any sanction has been imposed, nor has the person responsible for the property been identified. The opening of proceedings is a preliminary step to the possible processing of the sanctioning file.

The case focuses on the conditions of access to housing in Mallorca and on the situations of overcrowding that can arise from renting spaces for sleeping instead of dwellings with minimum habitability conditions. In this case, the authorities have detected a property with serious deficiencies, while the individuals identified claim they were paying monthly to have a bed.