The National Statistics Institute estimates there are some 100,000 empty homes in the Balearics, approximately one-sixth of the entire housing stock. Getting even a percentage of these empty homes onto the market would help to alleviate housing problems on the islands, and so the government will be launching a scheme for rented accommodation that will involve it acing as if it were a letting agency.
Balearic government will act as a 'letting agency' for empty homes
The scheme will not apply to large property owners, e.g. banks
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I'm all in favour of something to be done about housing for those who can't afford it. Different topic, and I don't have any simple solutions, so I won't bother pontificating about that. But this... Let's say I have a house sitting idle. Maybe I use it occasionally, but otherwise it's empty. The government comes around and offers me some paltry amount of money to rent it to ... who, exactly? And once they're in, there's no way of getting them out, no matter what. I suspect there won't be a lot of takers.
How will they found out which properties are empty more than 6 months of the year? Nosy neighbours will report?
Never thought I would agree with C D-C but I do.
As with many initiatives from this Government it's an idea born around a conference table but not properly thought through. First, the Government should not directly be involved in such matters. They should create an NGO to carry out this policy. Second, it's the fear of squatters that stops second home owners and others from renting out and this action doesn't prevent squatting. The solution is for the Government to change the law that currently supports squatters and gives them rights. Do that and a flood of properties will come onto the market.