The Ombudsman considers the municipal action regarding a squatted flat in Poble-sec appropriate, although it requests the City Council to contact the owner.
A complaint filed in June with the Ombudsman highlights a building in Poble-sec, Barcelona, where one of the flats has been illegally occupied for several years. The complainant describes a deteriorated entrance: the access door to the building has been broken for over five years and the walls are covered in graffiti.
According to the resident, the situation has led to several police interventions due to fights. She claims to have repeatedly found people sleeping in the stairwell and using drugs, and recounts that firefighters have had to respond due to improper water manipulations in the community.
The costs arising from this misuse of the flat have been borne by the other owners. The resident also laments that most of the households are occupied by elderly people who fear reprisals if they speak out.
Barcelona City Council explains that the Urban Guard has been working on the case since mid-2025, when a patrol alerted to the situation at midnight. Since then, local police have visited the property to identify the occupants and assess possible situations of substandard housing, and have increased the presence of uniformed officers in the area.
The Ombudsman, in a recently published resolution, considers that the municipal action has been appropriate. However, it reminds of the legal framework of the situation:
“Recovering possession of the flat corresponds to its owner and generally requires a judicial procedure that is usually lengthy.”
For this reason, the agency recommends that the City Council identify and contact the owner, inform them how the occupation affects the residents, and urge them to take legal action. It also asks the police to maintain surveillance in the area.
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