The Guardia Civil have arrested two men, aged 45 and 71, and a woman, aged 44, in Candelaria, on charges of “home invasion” and minor assault, after they broke into a home in an attempt to evict a tenant who had not paid their rent.
The tenant, who was inside the property at the time, called the police to report the break-in, and the Guardia Civil responded quickly going directly to the location given.
When they got there, they found the front door was broken and the tenant’s personal belongings scattered on the street.
Investigations revealed that the detainees had entered the property by force while the tenant was present inside. One of the suspects is also alleged to have physically assaulted the tenant, resulting in minor injuries, including cuts and bruises.
In police interviews, the detainees all said that their motive was linked to unpaid rent, leading to the illegal eviction attempt, however, this type of action is illegal under the current housing law, and legal channels need to be followed to evict anyone from a property, to avoid criminal charges.
The case highlights one of the main problems that landlords are facing in that they cannot evict people if they don’t pay their rent without court proceedings which are lengthy and costly. This is why they are turning to holiday lets or leaving their properties empty, which is contributing to the housing crisis.
