Squatters rights

[scooter]

Is there such as thing as squatter's rights in Spain ?

[Chico]

I don't know for certain - but I do know that the law falls heavily in favour of the Tenant in all but a few cases. Are you asking as a would-be squatter, or as a Landlord ?

[scooter]

At this stage I would be neither. I am looking at buying a run down villa close to me, which I believe has some potential. I can just about scrape by to afford to buy the Villa (and pay for fees etc...) outright, but this would leave me hardly anything at all to be able to do any reform work it needs before I can either sell it on or rent it out.(Because the market is so slow at the moment I would prefer to rent it out in the short term).
My lack of funds means that I will buy materials and do the work needed as and when I can afford, which may take quite a few months, and I was just concerned that with having the place empty I may be exposing myself to would-be squatters.

[AJC]

I would imagine that the risk is largely down to the type of property and it's location. If it is a Villa on a reasonably busy urbanisation I would imagine that there are plenty of neighbours that you can ask to keep an eye out for you. Many Urbanisations also have their own security company keeping an eye on things on behalf of absent owners, or a community of residents that you could tell about your concerns. I have heard of squatters occupying properties in Spain, but never this kind of property - they are usually apartments or older houses in Cities and Town centres and they are almose always evicted eventually.