The Balearic government has to take some serious action.

The Balearic government has to take some serious action. | Majorca Daily Bulletin reporter

Humphrey CarterPalma30/08/2024 10:02
TW
2

I find it shocking, obscene and quite frankly selfish that 210,587 homes in the Balearics are either empty or are only used as second homes. The second home issue I can understand, after all they have been bought as holiday homes and therefore will only be used for just that - holidays. Plus there are certain restrictions that prevent some owners, for example the British, using their second homes for longer periods.

Thanks to Brexit, Britons now have to comply with the 90 day rule and that significantly restricts the numbers of days they can spend in the European Union, never mind the Balearics. However, when it comes to the other properties which are just left empty, that’s a disgrace, especially when the housing situation in the Balearics is critical with fewer and fewer young people able to get anywhere near the housing ladder or able to afford to rent.

Now, what the authorities can do about this is a serious question and one which will be difficult and certainly controversial to answer. But something has to be done because the situation will only get worse with houses continuing to remain empty while rents carry on shooting up as wages remain stagnant.

It’s a very unfair situation and is dividing society. The ‘have and have nots’ is not a healthy environment for anyone to live in, especially in this modern age, and in the long run things could turn rather nasty.