Families like Walid Guerchouch's, residing on Avinguda de Madrid, face uncertainty since Vandor acquired their property in 2022. The fund currently owns 13 entire buildings in Barcelona, totaling nearly 200 flats, aiming to convert them into colivings—a room rental model that bypasses general rent price caps.
Vandor's strategy involves not renewing contracts and offering increasing financial compensation to avoid lengthy judicial resolutions. Residents such as Rubén Sospedra (Carrer Còrsega) and Wendy Sosa (Carrer Concòrdia) have received offers ranging from 10,000 to 30,000 euros. However, many refuse, including Elisabeth Lezama from Consell de Cent, who stresses: “I don't want 30,000 euros; I want to be able to live in my flat.”
“"Someone who doesn't even know who you are decides that you cannot continue with the life you lead. It is as if they dropped a bomb on the building."
The tenants' resistance, organized through the Sindicat de Llogateres (Tenants Union), has led to eviction lawsuits against families like Wendy Sosa, who has lived in Poble-sec since 1998 with a nephew with a disability. Enric Aragonès, spokesperson for the Sindicat de Llogateres, regrets that the new law regulating seasonal and room rentals, which the Parliament is set to approve this Thursday, arrives “two years too late.”
Vandor defends itself by stating it “always acts with respect for legality” and that its business model, managed by CoTown and Vanguard Student Housing, offers “flexible and personalized solutions.” The fund highlights that 94% of pre-existing contracts have been resolved through negotiated agreements, arguing that their prices include services (cleaning, utilities) not comparable to traditional long-term rentals.
