Why the Balearic Islands See So Many Evictions – a Reality Check

Why the Balearic Islands See So Many Evictions – a Reality Check

According to the Spanish General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), the Balearic Islands recorded 210 enforced evictions in the third quarter of this year. That is almost 9 percent fewer than in the same period last year, yet the region still tops Spain with 14 evictions per 100,000 inhabitants. These figures are short, sober and a little shocking if you think of the sunny postcards. The key question is: what do these numbers really say about everyday housing life in Mallorca — and which stories remain invisible in the statistics, as discussed in Living in Crisis: Why Tenants Are Now Paying the Price on the Balearic Islands?

1. Critical analysis: numbers, contexts, pitfalls

First the good news: the absolute number fell slightly. But that can be deceptive. 210 enforced measures in one quarter mean families, single people, pensioners or seasonal workers losing their homes. The rate of 14 per 100,000 inhabitants stands out because it is significantly above the Spanish average regionally. Why? In Mallorca several factors collide: a tight housing market, high seasonal demand, an owner profile strongly shaped by tourism and rental relationships that are often precarious. Added to this is that enforcement is only the end of a long bureaucratic chain — reminders, court proceedings, often weeks of uncertainty in narrow stairwells.

2. What is missing from the public debate

The debate often stalls at headlines and blame. Rarely do we talk about the in-between spaces: what do contractual clauses look like that ruin people in the low season? What role do middlemen play who prioritise short-term profits over long-term stability? And very practically: where does someone with limited income quickly find an alternative when the eviction notice arrives? Such questions mix law, market and municipal infrastructure — they are not glamorous, but they are decisive, a point explored in Tenant Aid in the Balearic Islands: Well-Intentioned but Too Narrowly Scoped.

3. A daily scene from Palma

Imagine Carrer de Sant Miquel on a grey morning: an older man with a shopping bag pauses and reads a white sheet posted on a door. A few metres away neighbours discuss quietly. The smell of freshly brewed coffee mixes with the noise of delivery scooters. No one speaks loudly; but the tension is palpable. I have seen scenes like this in Palma more than once — not images of big politics, but the concrete moment when housing suddenly becomes insecure.

4. Concrete approaches — not just wishful thinking

There are pragmatic steps that could have immediate effects in Mallorca:

Stronger prevention work: Early social counselling for payment difficulties. A system of warning signals — energy or water bills, reminder procedures — could be automatically reported to municipal social services so help is offered before a court date is scheduled.

More flexible rental models: In tourist hotspots we need rental contracts that take seasonal fluctuations into account — for example graduated schemes that provide protection in the low season. This protects tenants and reduces the risk of evictions.

Expansion of emergency and transitional housing: A small network of short-term available accommodations, run by municipalities or social organisations, can catch people instead of immediately putting them on the street. That buys time to find sustainable solutions.

Mediation services before court: Mediation offers, legally required before enforcement, could defuse many cases. Mediation costs far less than an eviction process — financially and humanely.

5. What local politics can do

Regional authorities have instruments: tax incentives for landlords who offer socially responsible contracts; funds to renovate and convert vacant apartments into affordable housing; cooperation with the hotel and real estate sectors to use vacancies more strategically during low seasons, a need underscored by Rent-price shock 2026: How Mallorca is heading toward a social crisis. It is important that measures are not implemented only by decree, but coordinated locally with neighbourhoods and social organisations.

6. Concise conclusion

The CGPJ figures are more than statistics: they reflect housing insecurity, markets, political failures and everyday stress. A drop of almost 9 percent is a glimmer of hope, but the high rate shows structural problems remain. We must move away from blame and toward concrete instruments that act preventively. In Mallorca, between market halls and promenades, these measures decide whether neighbours keep their homes or soon only have memories of familiar stairways.

The problem is complicated but manageable — if we talk not only about numbers but about the people behind the notices on doors.