The end of ocupas in Spain? Amendment to the regulations
The Spanish real estate market has enjoyed unwavering interest from both domestic and foreign investors in recent years. Many of them fear the problem of the so-called ocupas, or squatters. In February 2025, the Spanish parliament passed a law that significantly shortens the time it takes to deal with crimes related to illegal entry and occupation of a place of residence.
What you will find in the article:
- Who are the «ocupas»?
- Does the «ocupas» phenomenon affect the investment decisions of foreign investors?
- How to protect a property against so-called ocupas?
- Changes to the law to combat squatters
- Can these changes affect investing in Spanish real estate, and if so, how? Is this the beginning of the end of squatters occupying other people’s apartments?
Who are the «ocupas»?
«Ocupas» comes from the Spanish word «ocupación», which means to occupy someone’s territory. It describes both the phenomenon itself and the people who commit this act. Squatters often raise concerns among foreign investors who do not know the scale of the problem and the possibilities of protection against «unwanted guests». According to Spanish statistics, in 2023 there were 15,000 cases of illegal property occupation. To capture the scale of the phenomenon, it is worth recalling that Spain has 49 million inhabitants.
Does the «ocupas» phenomenon affect the investment decisions of foreign investors?
None of our clients has yet given up buying a property for fear of ocupas. Usually, our explanations plus the solutions we propose are enough to close the topic.
How to protect a property against so-called ocupas?
To avoid squatters settling in your house or apartment, it is worth visiting your property regularly, taking care of security solutions, including bars, alarms, monitoring systems and anti-burglary roller shutters. During your absence it make sens to entrust the property to a trusted specialist for management. Some insurance options also offer the possibility of including protection against illegal occupation of apartments or houses in the contract, which includes legal assistance and coverage of costs related to their recovery.
Changes to the law to combat squatters
Opposition parties in Spain have been fighting for years for legislative changes to combat «ocupas» and have finally come up with a solution. On February 15 this year, the Congreso (the Spanish parliament) passed a law that significantly shortens the time for dealing with crimes related to illegal occupation of residence and intrusion into real estate. Thanks to this reform, squatters will be tried in a special procedure, within 15 days of filing a report, which will significantly speed up eviction procedures. This change is very important for home and apartment owners who until now had to wait months or even years to get their properties back. The new regulations will come into force on April 3, 2025.
Can these changes affect investing in Spanish real estate, and if so, how? Is this the beginning of the end of squatters occupying other people’s apartments?
The implementation of the new law should help to marginalize the problem and create more friendly and safe conditions for investing in Spanish real estate.
