In response to the housing shortage in Mallorca and the Balearics, the conversion of commercial premises into accommodation is becoming increasingly common practice. However, there are examples that do not comply with current legislation and that can pose serious risks to occupants and result in heavy fines for those responsible for conversion.
Antonio Jaume, president of the CAFBAL association of property administrators, says that conversion which meets all the legal requirements is one thing; quite another is that which does not. Many of these premises have technical difficulties in meeting conditions of habitability. Some owners decide to bypass the regulations in seeking to extract a financial return from an empty asset. "But it is extremely dangerous, very risky." Just one of the deficiencies that make habitability unfeasible can be the lack of adequate ventilation.
The conversion of commercial premises - both legal and illegal - experienced a boom because of closures during the pandemic. Now, Jaume believes, it is a very good option, "so long as it is done properly".
The president of the COAIB architects association, Bernat Nadal, supports conversion, and his association has created a manual of best practice for it. He believes that it is another formula "to respond to the current needs of Balearic society".
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You'd swear all the habitual properties here are all in pristine condition the way they go on. The multitudes here can barely make ends meet. It's either this or people finish on the side of the road. Wages are so far separated from the cost of living that very soon the wealthy tourists will find that there are a shortage of workers to tend to them while they enjoy their sunshine.