Living in a Rented Room
Flat owners and landlords in Majorca have been charging tenants up to 500 euros as a payment for registration at home. This practice is a clear abuse and is illegal. It has drawn sharp condemnation from organizations such as Cáritas, Metges del Món, and Red Crescent, which report increasing cases every day.
Teresa Riera, who leads Cáritas housing programs, explains a core issue: when access to housing is scarce and rents soar, people end up renting rooms to make ends meet. The typical lease states that the apartment cannot be rented out, so tenants who rent a room do not register the person who enters the home. This creates a cycle where the landlord remains unaware of the subleasing, a trap that feeds itself.
Living in a rented room
From Cáritas’ registration perspective, many people living in a room are the ones described above. Because they cannot register, some take advantage by selling the registration record. Reports describe tenants paying 300 to 500 euros for a room, while landlords levitate monthly rents of 50 to 100 euros just to secure a registered address.
These NGOs warn that such abuses are rising quickly in Palma and nearby towns. The push is for more flexible registrations, especially in municipalities outside Palma. Registration plays a crucial role as it is the gateway to essential services such as health cards, social cards, and education for children. Without registration, access to these services is blocked.
When people press for an inspector to verify residency, the process can drag on. The main option for those living in rooms is to request an inspector visit to confirm habitation. However, inspections take time and fear arises that landlords will evict tenants once they discover the inquiry.
Currently, the profile of those affected has broadened. It used to be mostly immigrants, but now it includes a wider mix of people.
Registration carries a heavy burden of fear and insecurity, especially for vulnerable migrants in irregular situations. Regional Coordinator Juana Lozano of Red Cross notes that many would rather give up their registration rights than risk losing their housing. Palma remains a state capital where people living in subcontracted rooms have been recorded, though the record should not require any payment to the landlord and is often obstructed by ignorance and fear. Lozano adds that the legal tools to prosecute these practices are weak because the phenomenon is new.
Suicidal behaviors
Amanda Gutiérrez, coordinator for Severe Exclusion, Migration, and the Right to Health at Metges del Món, points out that Inca is a municipality with significant registration barriers. Palma, while generally compliant with the law, still faces challenges when a person living on the street needs registration. If an inspector does not arrive within a reasonable period, many people living in rooms find themselves without essential rights after months of uncertainty. Negotiations with regional authorities have been requested to address these gaps. A common situation is people sharing an address with someone who receives a minimum vital income who could be the owner or landlord; some refuse to register to avoid losing benefits. Mediations with landlords have often failed, leaving residents without recourse and sometimes with minors in their care. The situation can be extremely stressful, and there are cases of severe psychological distress among those affected. Health psychologists are available within projects aimed at addressing related issues, and they provide care to people under such pressure.