Courts throughout Spain continue to receive hundreds of cases related to residential squatting. In the first nine months of 2024, the Courts of First Instance have registered a total of 1,782 proceedings of verbal possessory trials for illegal occupations of residential properties, according to data from the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ).
By quarter, case admissions have ranged: 563 in the first three months of the year, 639 during the spring, and 580 in the summer. Although the volume in the third quarter was slightly lower than the previous quarter, in a year-over-year comparison with the same period in 2023, the increase was 55%. In the summer of 2023, only 373 cases were recorded.
Growth of cases in the Balearic Islands
In the Balearic Islands, the courts have processed a total of 24 cases in the first quarter, 24 in the second quarter and 31 in the third quarter, accumulating 79 proceedings so far this year. This represents a year-on-year increase of 63% compared to last summer. The Balearic Islands has a weight of 4.4% in the national total, positioning itself in the medium-low range of autonomous regions with judicial proceedings related to squatting. However, its growth contrasts with regions such as Galicia, Asturias, La Rioja and Extremadura, which have recorded decreases, or the Canary Islands, which has maintained the same year-on-year figures.
Catalonia leads the national ranking
Catalonia continues to lead the national ranking both in the third quarter and in the annual accumulated figure. Between July and September, 123 new procedures were recorded in this community, 21.2% of the national total (580). The cumulative figure for the first nine months of the year is 366 cases, which represents 20.5% of the total. After Catalonia, the communities with the highest volume of proceedings so far in 2024 are the Valencian Community, with 334 cases (18.7%), and Andalusia, with 326 (18.3%). Together, these three regions account for 57.6% of all squatting cases in Spain.
Notable growth in other communities
In terms of year-on-year increases, Cantabria has led the relative growth with 500%, going from one case in the summer of 2023 to six in 2024. It is followed by Catalonia with 173%, Castilla y León with 130% and the Basque Country with 112%. Also above the national average are Andalusia (81%), Castilla-La Mancha (79%), the Balearic Islands (63%) and the Valencian Community (56%).
Madrid and the rest of Spain
Madrid ranks fourth in the cumulative total, with 138 cases through September (7.7% of the national total). In fifth place is Castilla-La Mancha, with 111 proceedings (6.2%). The other communities have registered less than a hundred cases so far this year, with weights ranging from 5.2% in the Canary Islands to 0.3% in La Rioja, the community with the fewest cases.
