THE BEES KNEES
An insider’s guide to what makes Ronda such a special place by an English writer who has lived in the town for decades
To honour World Bee Day, the Olive Press takes a dive into the world of the vital insects
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O LIVE City of dreams PRESS NOT AGAIN! TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE
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MALLORCA
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AN American woman’s €2.5 million Marbella villa has been snatched from right under her nose - sold using forged papers from Mexico while she was away in Indonesia. Elizabeth, a yoga teacher and long-term resident, was horrified when tenants called her in August 2023 reporting men had broken into her home, smashing doors and disabling alarms. “They claimed they had a rental contract from a Mexican woman who doesn’t even exist,” Elizabeth said. “I hadn’t sold the house, never saw a penny, and was halfway across the world.” Her lawyer, Carmen Herrera, revealed the fraud began in 2018 with a forged power of attorney and fake passport created in Mexico. Yet Spanish notaries and land registrars failed to spot the fake documents - allowing the villa to be sold without her consent. Crooked Property expert Mark Stucklin slammed the system: “This was either gross negligence or a crooked notary. Forged documents should never have been accepted.” Costa del Sol lawyer Antonio Flores warned: “If someone walks in with a foreign POA to sell a home, notaries must be extremely suspicious.” This is the second major case the Olive Press has uncovered recently. Last edition, the OP reported that a Swedish woman had her Mijas apartment stolen using a forged Colombian power of attorney. Men posing as victims of fraud tried to evict her and even contacted her building’s administrator to claim ownership. Elizabeth said: “I’m trapped in a nightmare. After this, I’ll never buy property in Spain again.”
Vol. 8 Issue 207
www.theolivepress.es
June 6th - June 19th 2025
€250 a month in rental support for young people but rental crisis continues
A DESPERATE lifeline is being thrown to young people on Mallorca as soaring rents, fuelled by mass tourism and holiday lets, leave locals unable to afford a place to live in their own homeland. Starting Monday (June 9), people up to the age of 35 can apply for up to €250 a month in rental aid under the second round of the Youth Rental Bonus - but many say it’s too little, too late as the island’s housing crisis spirals out of control. In towns where a modest single room now commands eye-watering rents of up to €450 a month, locals claim they are being forced out of their communities. Many have no choice but to move further inland where housing is cheaper, live with parents well into adulthood, or leave the Balearics altogether in search of affordable accommodation.
Staggering
By Dilip Kuner & Samantha Mythen
rental prices.” The grants are meant to soften the blow, but campaigners say they do little to fix the root cause: a housing market distorted by an explosion in short-term tourist rentals. Thousands of properties that once housed locals are now listed on holiday rental platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, leaving entire neighbourhoods hollowed out and stripped of their traditional character. The frustration has boiled over in recent months, with thousands taking to the streets across Mallorca, Ibiza, and Menorca in protest, carrying banners reading ‘Mallorca is not for sale’ and ‘We want to live here.’ Many locals are demanding limits on tourism, caps on rents, and a ban on non-residents snapping up second homes that sit empty most of the year. An increasingly vocal anti-tourism movement has been gaining traction, especially among the young. With salaries stagnant and rents rocketing, many feel they’re being priced out of paradise. Mallorca teacher Marga Mas Gomila said: “We have the feeling that the island is becoming some-
PROTESTS: Spaniards have taken to the streets in their tens of thousands demanding action
where for tourists and rich people, duced measures aimed at curbing In Palma, the island’s capital, a and we, the locals, are just a nui- the impact of mass tourism on the one-bedroom flat can regularly sance. The island is being ruined housing market. fetch over €1,000 per month, a These include a freeze on issuing for us.” staggering figure when the averThe first round of the rental bo- new licences for holiday apartage net monthly salary in Palma is nus helped just over 1,400 young ments and increased penalties for €1,566.67. people. But with thousands more illegal short-term rentals. Meanwhile, in sought-after coaststill struggling, campaigners say it Additionally, an increase in the al hotspots like Santa Ponsa and Ecotasa tourist tax has been probarely scratches the surface. Cala d’Or, even shared rooms can In response to the growing crisis, posed, with rates potentially cost more than some locals’ entire the Balearic government has intro- reaching €6 per night during peak monthly salaries. months. This new funding round These initiatives are part of a for rent relief will inbroader strategy to promote clude rooms as well as sustainable tourism and alflats, with the aid covleviate pressure on the local ering a 24-month perihousing market. Uproar forces estate agency billboard od from January 2024 However, critics argue that climbdown to December 2025. these measures are insuffiA GERMAN real-estate agency has “We’ve asked for these cient and that more aggresscrapped an advertising campaign that limits to be increased, sive actions are needed to used the 'Game of Thrones' TV series to especially here in the address the root causes of the 'trivialise' Mallorca’s housing crisis. Balearics,” said Houshousing crisis. Kensington-International has apologised ing Minister Jose Luis Olive Press Property Insidto anybody who felt off ended. Mateo. “People simply er Adam Neale commentFor a full investigation see the can’t survive on these It erected billboards with 'Game of Homes' ed: “The only way to resolve written on them symbolising the tactical next edition of the Olive Press wages with the current the housing crisis is to build movements and land-grab battles between different factions in the TV show more houses. and books. Spain’s stock of affordable That went down badly with locals looking to buy or rent increasingly expensive properties. social housing is just 2.5%. Established They fumed it created the impression that buying a home on Mallorca is almost like a 1989 This is barely 20% of the EU game-board akin to the fantasy land map of Westeros in 'Game of Thrones'. average and almost the lowSpecific complaints were made via social media about a hoarding in the Calvia municipalest in the OECD.” EMERGENCIES: ity where there are many lucrative properties on the market for people with deep pockets. And he added: “Across Spain, A Kensington-International statement said: "We deeply regret that the message may have there is a substantial stock of Tel: 636 308 789 been offensive or insensitive in the current context of debate on access to housing." unoccupied unfinished propDr. Alex Kerkoc Portillo “In no way have we wanted to trivialise or belittle a complex reality that worries us and erties which, with a bit of poDra. Mª Magdalena Coll Abrines in which we have been working for years with the utmost respect for this land and its litical will, could be unlocked Dra. Gema Dávila residents," it continued. as long-term rentals.” C.C. Mercadona, 1˚, 17/18 Son Caliu, “We reiterate our commitment to a real estate activity that is transparent, respectful and 07181, Calvia, Mallorca aligned with the values of Mallorcan society," the statement concluded. Tel: 971 681 439 www.theeuropeandentalpractice.com Opinion Page 6
THE EUROPEAN DENTAL PRACTICE
Not so clever