Controversy surrounds the buildings acquired by the Vandor fund in various Barcelona districts, where residents complain that works to convert empty flats into 'colivings' are often carried out without the proper license. This practice, they warn, aims to prevent the interventions from being classified as "major rehabilitations," which would mandate reserving 30% of the area for protected housing. Architect and resident Patricia Rodríguez, from Concòrdia street, temporarily halted works in eight homes where only three licenses had been requested.
Lawyer Jordi Aguilera, representing the residents, filed a request in June across the five affected districts (Eixample, Sarrià-Sant Gervasi, Ciutat Vella, Les Corts, and Sants-Montjuïc) demanding the construction files. This action follows a previous anonymous complaint received by the City Council in March 2024 that already warned of multiple irregularities, including asbestos concealment and resident harassment.
“"If all the licenses had been requested, it would have become clear that this was a major rehabilitation. The way to avoid falling under this regime was not to explain the whole truth about what they really intended to do."
The Sarrià-Sant Gervasi District has been the only one to respond so far. At Amigó 26, the City Council confirmed unlicensed works in three flats in July and ordered immediate suspension until regularization. At Balmes 335, the first block acquired by Vandor in 2019, inspectors detected the conversion of a dwelling into a common commercial space without a permit, ordering the demolition of the works and warning of coercive fines ranging from 300 to 3,000 euros.
“"First it tried to dismantle the 30% measure, and seeing that it couldn't do so, it opted for another strategy, which is not to apply it and say nothing."
Vandor defends itself by arguing that its interventions do not constitute "major rehabilitations" and are therefore not subject to the 30% reserve. Municipal sources from the Jaume Collboni government assure that guaranteeing dignified housing is a priority and that detected urban infractions have been duly sanctioned, although they acknowledge the difficulty in systematizing inspections, which depend on the districts.
