Finding a rental home in Lanzarote can become "an ordeal." And, although there is a greater supply than a few years ago, those who are looking for a new home claim that prices are still "skyrocketing" and that many homes do not even meet minimum conditions.
"Lower the prices, this is not Miami," demands Riccardo Consoli, an Italian based in Lanzarote for just over two years, who is surprised that "with the economic situation that exists now due to Covid," homeowners set "so high" rents.
"I'm angry," adds this 27-year-old, who says that since he arrived on the island his biggest difficulty has always been finding a rental at an affordable price. In fact, he currently lives with his boyfriend and his mother-in-law, because his salary is not enough to pay for a home and food.
"Here I have learned what hunger is"
Specifically, Riccardo arrived in Lanzarote in January 2019 "without knowing the island" and decided to stay. "I used to be a travel agent, I had a travel agency in Italy and I knew the Canary Islands but not Lanzarote. One day I came here with two small suitcases and stayed directly, because I loved the nature of the island," he says.
In fact, he declares himself in love with the island and therefore, and because of his sexual condition since he claims that homosexuality is "not viewed very well" in Italy, he has "fought" to stay here. But, he says, that in Lanzarote he has come "to know what hunger is" in order to pay the rent.
And, after his arrival on the island, he assures that the only thing he could find was "a one-month rental in Valterra," for which he had to pay "1,200 euros." "And I'm talking about 40 square meters of house, on a roof terrace," points out this young man, who points out that "luckily" he came with some money saved.
"Then I found a house with a real estate agency, but the lowest price I had was 700 euros. It included water and electricity, but I lived alone," explains Riccardo, who points out that to enter the house he also had to pay "three monthly payments," so he was left "almost without any savings."
While Riccardo was living in this house, which was located in the El Reducto area, he got a job as a dishwasher in a restaurant, where he also worked as a pizza maker and delivery man. "But I earned 800 euros a month and paid 700 in rent," he details. Thus, he says that he survived "eating a plate of pasta a day, not eating much" or thanks to the fact that "at the restaurant they let him eat a pizza so as not to spend money."
"It was not an easy situation, but I fought because I wanted to change my life," says this young Italian. Thus, he began to learn Spanish, which he now speaks perfectly, and looked for a new house to live in. However, his situation did not change much. And, then he had to change jobs and only earned "about 700 euros a month," "paid 600 in rent" and "the electricity and water were not included." "Expenses aside, and I only had one room," he adds.
In addition, Covid arrived shortly after and Riccardo was fired from the store where he worked. "They waited for my contract to end and they kicked me out," he says.
Thus, he saw himself with serious problems to face the rent, since he only corresponded to "six months of unemployment." And, he points out that in the restaurant where he had worked previously he had been "deceived" and that they had him for a while "working without a contract" without him knowing it. "They had me in order for three months and then they told me to sign a paper to change my working hours. I signed it because I didn't know Spanish and I trusted them, and it turns out it was a dismissal," he says.
Houses where "there is nothing around" and "basements for 700 euros"
Therefore, and after asking for help from the Government of the Canary Islands that he claims ended up denying him, he ended up going to live with his partner and his mother-in-law, "But I came to this island because I wanted to have my life, my house, my job..." says Riccardo, who since November has a new job and is looking for a home to move in with his partner. However, he says that his boyfriend has been in ERTE "since January" and "has not yet been paid," and that his salary is only "about 800 euros."
"As of today I look at houses and they are 700, 800 or 900 euros. Houses mostly that there is nothing around, that are at the end of the world, or basements, I saw one in Puerto del Carmen for 700 euros," he points out. "I don't want all my salary to go on rent, because it's not just the rent. It's eating, the car, gasoline, insurance, telephone, electricity, water..., adds this young man, who believes that rents should not be so high on the island.
"And if I said the Miami thing before, it's because it makes me angry. I used to travel the world as a tour operator and I'm talking about huge apartments in the middle of Miami where you paid 700 dollars a month and where you went down and all the services were around," he concludes.
"It is very difficult to find something for stability"
Other people have not had as many difficulties as Riccardo, but their story does not differ much in terms of the problems in finding affordable rent. "The truth is that it is an ordeal. I arrived here a year ago and I have already moved four times, because the prices are very high and it is very difficult to find something for stability," says a woman, who is now looking for a new home to rent for two people, since her landlord "needs the house" in which they are.
"About 45 square meters of house can cost you 700 or 750 euros, which is a real outrage. And then, with beds of that shape, uncomfortable sofas, small washing machines or no storage space," criticizes this resident on the island, who assures that she has seen apartments where "there were no closets for clothes."
"And then there is the issue of real estate agencies, which ask you for three installments in one go: the month of rent, the month of the real estate agency and the reservation, the deposit. If they ask you for 800 euros for two rooms and I am a single person, who has no children, I can't imagine the families, because if you want something bigger, three rooms, either you go to an area that has nothing, or bad," adds this woman, who came from the Peninsula to Lanzarote "for work."
Likewise, she complains about the "inflexibility" of the owners of the houses. "If you have a bed or anything, they are not flexible to remove the one they have." she points out.
Thus, this person says that she feels "frustrated," now that she is again looking for a new home to live in. "As soon as you want to change, it is an ordeal. I imagine that many rentals would be oriented to vacation rentals and that now, with the pandemic, they do not want to lose that money that they previously earned being something vacation, but for those of us who live here and want to continue working on the island, it is hell," she indicates.
In fact, she put an ad of "looking for a house" on March 24 and says that no one has called her. "And I put the limit at 600 euros, but nobody leaves you a monthly payment of 600 euros with two rooms. That is impossible and if they give it to you it is that the area is not very good," she assures.
Two months looking for housing
In the case of Carla, another young woman with whom La Voz has been able to speak, has just found a rental home, but it has been "thanks to a relative who lives outside, has a house here and just her tenant was leaving." And, after having been looking for a house since February, until April she had not achieved anything.
"It is too difficult and there are prices that are too expensive. For a studio they ask you for 500 euros and I with my salary can't pay even 450 or 500 euros," she points out
In addition, in her case there was also the fact that she has a pet, a rabbit, which makes the search difficult. And, there are few owners who admit them. "It's crazy, really, but at least I already got it and luckily I have a job and I can pay for it, so we keep going," she concludes.
