Around 100 families living in an unfinished development in Costa Teguise, Lanzarote, could face eviction as the owner of the site moves forward with plans to replace the abandoned buildings with a luxury hotel.

Property developer Toscolanz SL, which owns plot 214 in the resort, has contacted a private eviction company to assess the situation at the development before deciding whether to use its services.

Representatives from the company visited the site yesterday afternoon (Wednesday) to establish how many families were living there. They later returned in the evening because many residents had been at work during the first visit.

No eviction took place, and no violence was reported during either visit.

Around 100 families are currently believed to be living in the unfinished properties, with reports suggesting some moved into the buildings because of the increasingly high cost of renting accommodation in Lanzarote.

The owner previously sought the removal of residents in 2023 as part of plans to develop the Body, Mind & Health Hotel, a proposed luxury complex that is expected to include a collection of high-end villas.

The buildings have a complicated history stretching back more than two decades. Construction was halted after a court ruling cancelled the original building licence in the early 2000s.

The unfinished development was subsequently supposed to be demolished, but the work was never carried out.

In November 2022, Teguise Council announced that a demolition project had been commissioned for plot 214 following continued legal pressure over compliance with a 2005 court ruling.

The latest development raises fresh uncertainty for the families currently living at the site. However, the reported approach to the private company does not mean an eviction has taken place or that residents have already been ordered to leave as part of this latest move.