'Co-living' real estate developers offer to move out-of-contract tenants to alternative building

At least two tenants living in blocks with 'co-living' flats and astudent apartments in Barcelona have been offered to move to an alternative building in a different neighbourhood. 

This is the situation of Elizabeth and Wendy, two neighbours in Eixample purchased by real estate developers Vandor, who have been offered to move to Sant Antoni.

Both Elizabeth and Wendy have been living in the same rented apartment with their family for more than 20 years and decided to stay there when Vandor bought both of their blocks to develop 'co-living' spaces or premium student apartments, and announced that they would not renew their contract.

Now, their eviction is on hold and Vandor is offering them a flat in a block where it assures that all neighbors will be families.

Both Elizabeth and Wendy decided to stay in the apartments and continue paying, but now out of contract. Neither wants to leave the apartment they consider to be their home, but as things stand they don't rule out moving to the building on Sepúlveda Street.

The spokesperson for the Tenants' Union, Enric Aragonès, denounced Vandor's intention to move residents "as if they were trading cards."

Vandor, meanwhile, defend that they are acting "with the utmost sensitivity" and say they are trying to seek solutions that arise "with consciousness."

"As a principle of action, we avoid operating in properties where people in a situation of vulnerability reside, so as not to aggravate contexts of housing fragility," representatives from the developers say. 

Aragonès believes that, on the contrary, the company are trying to avoid the costs that evictions would entail, and evaluates the offer as a covert way of ensuring that the blocks operate fully as co-living spaces.

Vandor assures that with all tenants who are out of contract, "it maintains its willingness to negotiate," and therefore "it has stopped any existing eviction process."

The Tenants' Union affirm that they "defend the right" of all residents of Vandor buildings "to stay in their homes and have a new contract."