Coliving companies are transforming Barcelona’s housing landscape, forcing long-term residents from their homes to make way for student accommodation.
This trend, led by investment funds like Vandor, has been described by affected families as having a bomb dropped on their buildings.
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Consequently, communities across the Eixample and Gràcia districts are being dismantled.
Coliving Expansion Creates Urban Displacement
Walid Guerchouch has lived with his family on Avinguda de Madrid for thirty years. Furthermore, his building now features multilingual welcome signs more typical of a hostel. This change occurred after investment fund Vandor purchased the entire property in 2022. The fund informed all residents it would not renew their leases, opting instead to convert apartments into coliving spaces for students. Today, most units operate as such, leaving only four original families behind.
Similar cases are spreading across the city. Vandor alone currently owns 13 entire buildings in Barcelona, with nearly 200 flats slated for conversion. The process is consistent: acquire a building, notify tenants of non-renewal, and begin renovations. Joana Martí, a resident on Carrer Avenir for twenty years, received the news like a bucket of cold water. “Someone who doesn’t even know you decides you cannot continue with the life you lead,” she lamented to Ara.cat.
Legal Battles and Buyout Offers
For remaining residents, uncertainty is compounded by constant construction noise and transient neighbours. Rosario Castillo now lives alone in a block full of coliving units after all her neighbours left. Her lease has expired, but she continues paying rent while Vandor seeks a court order to evict her. Meanwhile, Elisabeth Lezama and her family face legal action after 27 years in their Consell de Cent home.
The investment fund frequently attempts to avoid lengthy court proceedings by offering buyouts. Several residents report receiving offers ranging from €6,000 to €30,000 to vacate their homes voluntarily. Rubén Sospedra, with a valid lease until 2026, was offered €15,000. However, many refuse. “I don’t want €30,000; I want to live in my flat,” Lezama emphasises. This situation reflects broader pressures in Barcelona’s changing housing market.
Regulatory Gaps and Future Protections
The economic incentive for funds is clear. Current rental price caps do not apply to short-term or room rentals, allowing companies to charge nearly as much per room as a traditional tenant would pay for an entire flat. A glance at management company CoTown’s website confirms this, with rooms in converted buildings advertised for €700-€800 monthly.
Tenants are now urging authorities to act. The Catalan Parliament is set to approve a law regulating short-term and room rentals, which should prevent the total income from rooms in a flat exceeding the general rental cap. Enric Aragonès, spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union, hopes this will disincentivise operations like Vandor’s. He encourages affected residents to stand firm and demand collective negotiation. Nevertheless, he anticipates legal challenges to the new regulation and calls for strict enforcement. The need for stronger tenant protections is becoming increasingly urgent across the city’s neighbourhoods.
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