Spain’s Marbella Squatter Fraud: British Tourists Scammed

British tourists in Marbella caught in 'squatter fraud' nightmare as police intervene over illegal villa rental, leaving holidaymakers out of pocket.

A group of British tourists have found themselves in a holiday nightmare after discovering that the luxury villa they had rented was allegedly done so illegally. The shocking revelation came to light in a TV report by Antena 3, where the tourists were seen with their heads in their hands as a lawyer, accompanied by police, explained to them that they had fallen victim to a fraud.

The luxury villa, which was rented out for up to €4,000 per week, was listed on popular property platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com. With a swimming pool and seven suites, the villa appeared to be a typical holiday accommodation. However, the unsuspecting tourists were unaware of the legal complications surrounding the property.

The owner of the villa was completely unaware that his property was being rented out until he stumbled upon an online advertisement. He had left the maintenance man in charge of the property, believing it to be empty. Unfortunately, the maintenance man took it upon himself to sublet the villa long-term without the owner's knowledge, even going as far as drawing up contracts for the incumbent tenant.

The tenant, who is represented by a lawyer named Odon, claims that he had intended to rent out the property to tourists when he was not living there in order to help pay the rent and make a profit. The situation escalated when the maintenance man allowed different tourists to stay at the villa each week, turning it into what was described as a squatters' den.

Both Odon and Alberto, the representative of the original owner, are working to resolve the situation, as they believe that up to 60 people may have been affected by the fraud. The villa is reportedly reserved until February 2025, with reservation charges of around €1,000 per guest. The two parties are hoping to reach an agreement without involving the courts, but the sheer number of potential victims may complicate matters.

As of now, it remains unclear whether the current British guests have been asked to vacate the villa. The situation is still unfolding, and both the tourists and the property owner are grappling with the aftermath of this unfortunate incident.