The Almería City Council, through the Municipal Company ‘Almería XXI’, has launched the ‘Almería Alquila’ program with the aim of mobilizing currently vacant homes and facilitating access to affordable rentals. The initiative seeks to offer a public intermediation model that provides trust and security to both landlords and tenants.
Mayor María del Mar Vázquez, accompanied by Councilor Eloísa Cabrera, highlighted that housing access is a key social challenge and reiterated the municipal commitment to increasing the residential supply. The program complements public housing promotion and neighborhood revitalization, integrating into the ‘Vive Almería’ strategy.
‘Almería Alquila’ will function as a professional management service for landlords, who will cede the administration of their properties for a minimum of five years. The municipal company will guarantee monthly rent payments, contract non-payment and multi-risk insurance, and offer legal advice and incident management. Landlords needing adaptation works can authorize ‘Almería XXI’ to carry them out and repay the cost interest-free through rent discounts.
For future tenants, the program sets requirements such as one year of registered residency in Almería, not owning a property, family income between one and three times the IPREM, and rent not exceeding 30% of net income. Applicants must pass a solvency analysis and commit to using the property as their primary residence.
Vacant homes unoccupied for more than six months, meeting habitability conditions, basic utilities, and energy efficiency certificates, can join the program. The rental price will be determined by ‘Almería XXI’, set approximately 20% below market price, with an indicative range between 250 and 650 euros.
Enrollment in the program begins with an application to ‘Almería XXI’. After reviewing requirements, a management pool for homes and applicants will be created. When a home suitable for the applicant's profile becomes available, they will be informed and can visit up to three properties before formalizing the lease agreement.
The initiative is integrated into the digital platform ‘Vive Almería’, accessible at www.almeria21.com/vive-almeria, which will centralize all municipal housing policies. The program's promotion will include a massive digital campaign, digital screens, radio spots, and urban bus advertisements, with QR codes directing to the program's page to facilitate applications.
