Eighteen families in a block at 15 Avenida Europa in Málaga are facing mass contract terminations this year. The residents, who have no arrears, report a lack of maintenance and coercion from the new property owners.
Eighteen families residing at 15 Avenida Europa in Málaga are facing mass contract terminations throughout this year, according to resident spokesperson Jessica Muñoz Jiménez. The situation, reported by Diario Sur, affects a building of 28 homes built in 1958, of which 23 are occupied by tenants and five are owned by residents, one of which is managed by the Municipal Housing Institute.
The problems date back to 2024, when the company Geslau S. L. acquired the 23 rented homes. Since then, according to the residents, the property has stopped carrying out basic maintenance on the building, which still has lead pipes, original floors, and lacks proper earthing. Tenants have had to bear the costs of repairs such as replacing heaters.
“The property systematically ignores the burofax, buromails, and messages sent,” says Muñoz, who also reports indirect coercion and the intention to convert the building into tourist rentals or mini-apartments at market prices.
In light of this situation, the families went to the full meeting of the Málaga City Council a few months ago to seek help, but after more than eight months of waiting, they continue to receive no response or alternatives from local institutions. The group emphasises that all affected parties pay their rent punctually between the 1st and 5th of each month.
The gap between traditional prices of 500 to 700 euros and current market expectations, which reach 1,500 euros, is unmanageable for these families. “This price surge, along with the general increase in basic supplies like water, electricity, food, petrol, and butane gas, makes it impossible to find alternative housing, even in peripheral neighbourhoods and with two incomes in the household,” states Muñoz.
“We don’t want anything given to us. We pay our rent religiously. We fulfil our part of the contract. We are very overwhelmed, devastated.”
The psychological strain among residents is critical due to their family ties to the building. The spokesperson herself highlights that her husband represents the fourth generation of residents in the property and her 20-month-old daughter the fifth. “Leaving the home without alternatives means ending up on the street,” she insists.
Supported by the Tenants' Union, the residents reaffirm their decision to continue fighting for their right to affordable rent and a decent roof over their heads. Muñoz criticises the drift of the real estate and tourism market in the city: “I don’t know when we normalised paying 1,500 euros for rent. Málaga is no longer Málaga. Málaga residents are being expelled from their city. We are not against tourism or those who want to make money from housing, but they should take empty homes, not houses with people.”
The sole administrator of the company, which has three other businesses in his name, one of which is also dedicated to renting out homes and the other two linked to the pharmaceutical sector, explained to this media outlet in March that his aim was to invest in rehabilitating the building and bringing it back to market, while respecting the people.
The two legal proceedings already initiated are ongoing while the families await a municipal response that has yet to arrive.
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