SocietySpain
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SocietySpainhttps://p.dw.com/p/5PRvB
Sun, sea, and millions of tourists: Tenerife is considered a vacation paradise. But for many locals, the search for an apartment has become a nightmare. In just five years, the average rent on the Canary Island has more than doubled. Many landlords prefer to rent out their apartments as vacation rentals because it’s more profitable. To make matters worse, no public housing has been built for over four years. This has led to increasing numbers of people squatting in unfinished buildings, vacant apartments, and even entire hotels — often without electricity or running water. A black market has long since emerged, where vacant apartments are specifically sought out and illegally sublet. Owners continue to pay their mortgages and taxes, waiting years for an eviction or hiring private eviction firms. In the capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, protesters are camping out in front of the island’s administrative headquarters. The report shows an island caught between a tourism boom and a housing crisis where people will do almost anything to have a roof over their heads.
