Former police officer Pascual Ariño, who says he owns 17 homes in Spain, described properties occupied without the owner’s consent as a profitable niche for investors in an interview with the podcast Las Gafas Rojas, ABC reported.
Ariño told the podcast that he left the police, where he earned €1,600 a month, and turned to property investment. He says he now owns 17 homes, according to the website cited by ABC.
Discussing homes occupied by people without the owner’s consent, Ariño called them a “gold mine” for investors, while saying he personally dislikes the practice. He said he researches properties before buying and claimed that in some cases occupants can be removed for €3,000 to €4,000.
Ariño argued that Spain’s laws protect occupants and people who fail to pay rent. He said this makes landlords less willing to rent to lower-income households, including self-employed people or families living on about €1,200 a month. These are his views from the interview, not an independent assessment of Spanish housing law or eviction costs.
The comments come as housing affordability remains a major issue in Spain. ABC reported that Congress had rejected two government housing decrees, including measures concerning eviction suspensions through 2030 and limits on rent increases.