Squatters in Spain (Okupas), marching for their ‘right’ to occupy properties in Madrid back in 2022.
New 2025 legal reform promises “express evictions” and power cuts without prosecution.
Is this the beginning of the end for Spain’s squatters?
Credit: Shutterstock, OSCAR GONZALEZ FUENTES
A landmark ruling in Spain has handed landlords a powerful new tool in their battle against squatters – the legal right to pull the plug on electricity, water and gas in occupied homes without facing criminal charges.
In a unanimous decision on March 7, judges from the criminal chambers of the Barcelona Provincial Court ruled that cutting off basic services in squatted properties does not amount to coercion – a move hailed by many as a long-overdue win for fed-up homeowners.
The ruling means that owners of homes invaded by so-called okupas – a term used in Spain for illegal occupants – are no longer legally obliged to foot the bill for water, gas, or electricity while squatters live rent-free in their properties.
Previously, attempting to shut off services could land a landlord in hot water, potentially being accused of coercion, harassment, and even human rights violations. But this latest legal shift changes the game – making it easier (and cheaper) for property owners to encourage unwanted tenants to pack up and leave.
Squatter surge: A growing headache for Spain
In 2024 alone, a whopping 16,426 break-ins were reported across Spain – that’s 7.4% more than in 2023, when 15,289 cases were logged, according to official figures from the Ministry of the Interior.
Catalonia tops the squat list by a mile, racking up 7,009 reports – that’s over 40% of all cases in Spain. Shockingly, that’s more than the next three regions combined: Andalusia had 2,207, Valencia saw 1,767, and Madrid logged 1,451.
Landlords cheer, activists fear
While the decision has been welcomed by homeowners’ associations, these changes have also raised concerns among housing rights activists, who argue that cutting off basic utilities could risk the health and safety of vulnerable individuals, especially in cases where families or children are involved.
But the courts were clear: this is not about coercion – it’s about reclaiming what’s legally yours.
The bottom line
This ruling doesn’t mean landlords can act with total impunity – entering a squatted home without a warrant or using violence remains a criminal offence. But cutting off the taps and flipping the switch is now firmly within the law in Catalonia.
Catalonia is sending a clear message: don’t expect free water and electricity if you’re squatting in someone else’s home. But what about the rest of Spain?
The long waits to evict squatters in Spain could soon be over
According to property management firm Alquiler Seguro, the average wait to recover a squatted home in Spain is eight and a half months. But in certain regions like Castilla y León and Murcia, that time can stretch to an eye-watering twelve months.
In Aragon and Navarra, where the average recovery time is around four months, the ability to legally interrupt utilities could speed things up even further, making this ruling a game-changer for landlords across the country.
New “express eviction” law
Spain is set to tighten the screws on squatters even more this week as a new legal shake-up promises to fast-track evictions and give homeowners more bite in the battle to reclaim their properties.
From Wednesday, April 3, a reform to Spain’s Ley de Enjuiciamiento Criminal will come into force – one that legal experts say could “change the paradigm” of how squatters, or okupas, are dealt with.
The spotlight is on Article 795.1 of the Criminal Procedure Law, which has now been modified so that two key crimes – usurpation of property (Article 245 of the Penal Code) and unlawful entry into a residence (Article 202) – will be processed through Spain’s juicio rápido, or “fast-track trials”.
‘This will speed up evictions in cases where squatters break into homes or illegally take over properties,’ according to lawyer Xavi Abat, who shared the news in a video on his TikTok channel. ‘It’s a shift from a slow, bureaucratic process to a faster one that, in theory, allows evictions in just 15 days.’
But Abat warned: ‘We all know the justice system is slow and problematic, so it won’t be instant. But it will be far quicker than before.’
So, is this truly the beginning of the end for squatters in Spain? Or just a small step in a long legal battle to close the loopholes?
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