The Canary Islands Government will offer three years‘ free insurance cover against rent arrears to landlords who list their properties on the archipelago’s affordable rental scheme, an initiative aimed at bringing vacant properties onto the market and increasing the supply of housing, as explained on Thursday by the Regional Minister for Public Works, Housing and Mobility, Pablo Rodríguez.
In response to a question from Raúl Acosta, a member of the Mixed Group, regarding guarantees of payment and the return of the property as a means of incentivising owners, Rodríguez outlined in the Canary Islands Parliament the measures included in the affordable housing scheme, the management of which has been awarded to the company Factoría de Gestión y Consultoría following a tender process organised by the public company Visocan.
The councillor pointed out that the programme aims to offer safeguards to both landlords and tenants through a mediation service designed to build trust between the two parties and facilitate access to affordable housing.
Canary Islands: Rental exchange offers advice and protection
The scheme will have a presence on all eight inhabited islands, offering in-person, mobile and online services, explained Rodríguez, who emphasised that the service will not be limited to a website or a telephone helpline, but will also have offices that members of the public can visit.
For landlords, the scheme will include, in addition to three years‘ free insurance against rent arrears, an assessment of tenants‘ creditworthiness, the drafting of the tenancy agreement and the property inventory, as well as legal advice and guidance on rent levels.
Grants may also be applied for to refurbish or renovate properties, with the aim of making them habitable and ensuring they meet the necessary requirements to provide decent housing.
For their part, tenants will be able to access affordable rental accommodation, receive advice on the Urban Tenancy Act and enjoy greater certainty when signing their tenancy agreement, as well as a mediation service in the event of any disputes between the parties.
Rodríguez has also reported that the website vivacam.es is now up and running, albeit in its initial phase, to make it easier for property owners to register with the scheme without having to visit the offices in person.
Study on vacant properties
The tender also includes the preparation of a detailed survey of each of the islands to determine how many empty homes there are, which ones are habitable, and what condition they are in.
The councillor considered that this analysis is vital for understanding the true situation regarding vacant residential properties and will enable the identification of properties that could be included in the affordable rental scheme.
Rodríguez explained that the study will be carried out in parallel with the roll-out of the programme and that it will not be necessary to wait for its conclusions before starting to recruit properties.
Housing programme takes account of experiences from other regions
The councillor argued that making use of vacant properties is one of the regional government’s strategies for increasing the supply of rental accommodation, given a situation in which, as he pointed out, many people not only find it difficult to afford the rents but are unable to find any accommodation available at all.
Finally, he pointed out that the programme has been designed taking into account the experiences of other autonomous communities and the mistakes identified in previous initiatives, with the aim of ensuring its smooth running and widespread acceptance.
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