On June 26th 2018 the BOIB (Balearic government’s official report) published the first Housing Law in the Balearic Islands, effective from June 27th 2018, and that, according to the Balearic Government, will make it easier for citizens to have access to housing.

The most important aspects of this law are the following:

– The law recognises the citizen’s right to housing and establishes mechanisms to facilitate it, like the increase of the public housing offer for social rentals, and establishing the government’s obligation to facilitate the access of citizens in vulnerable situations (accredited by appropriate entities) to this type of properties or other types if these are not available.

– It will be compulsory for major owners to grant access of their properties that have been empty/ closed for over two years to social renting if there are people in need of housing.

– Major property owners have three months to report all of their properties that have been empty for two years. Not doing this implies a serious penalty: from 3.000 to 30.000 euros.

– A universal and free housing support service goes into operation for all citizens. Its function will be to guide and assist citizens that are in a situation where there is a risk of losing their housing.

– The right of all citizens to basic supplies is guaranteed. Supply cuts can’t be made if the municipal social services recognise the difficult situation of the family.

– In order to encourage public renting, new properties built by public administration will be for renting and can also promote housing with formulas other than ownership (for example: housing cooperatives). The Law details the conditions of use of a social housing dwelling, which must be a regular place of residence. Social housing dwellings can’t be rented, except in some justified cases.

– The law also foresees the promotion of new formulas to make affordable housing available to the public. Thus, it conceives the cession of land (as a temporary cession of surface) to citizens’ cooperatives for the construction of housing. The people who, through the cooperative, have access to these dwellings won’t own them, but they will be able to use them for life.

If you need more information about the new Housing Law, do not hesitate to contact us. Our multilingual and multidisciplinary team will be pleased to assist you.