IN THE HOUSING SECTOR IN SANT FELIU:
As in many cities in Catalonia housing and its uses is a factor in growing importance and constant debate.
Sant Feliu de Guíxols is a coastal town and in the 1960’s tourism initiated the type of temporary rental and many homes in all neighborhoods of the city were mostly rented to foreigners (Nordic, French, Belgian, German and families from Barcelona.) Currently for about 8 years there is only demand for HUT in first and second line of sea, little further from the sea.
Housing for tourist use (HUT) |
Percentage of the total | Total homes | |
| Sant Feliu de Guíxols | 841 | 5,39% | 15370 |
| Platja d’aro | 1583 | 39% | 15239 |
| Lloret de mar | 3043 | 12,93% | 23530 |
| Palamós | 1037 | 65% | 11994 |
| Roses | 3748 | 14,58% | 25712 |
| Torroella de montgrí | 2549 | 23,07% | 1047 |
USUAL HOUSING DATA
2 bedroom apartments: approx. 492 euros in 2008, approx. 493euros in 2018, between 2008 and 2018, the highest rent has been 531 euros in 2008 and the lowest 375 euros in 2013. If you apply the state CPI from 2008 to 2018 the current rent would be 548.32.
3 bedroom apartments: approx. €597 in 2008, approx. €600 in 2018, between 2008 and 2018, the highest rent has been €619 in 2008, while the lowest has been €443 in 2013. If we apply the state CPI from 2008 to 2018 the current rent would be €665.34.
4 bedroom apartments: approx. €688 in 2008, approx. €664 in 2018, between 2008 and 2018, the highest rent has been €750 in 2008, while the lowest has been €500 in 2013. If we apply the state CPI from 2008 to 2018 the current rent would be €766.76.
The number of annual contracts is around 450 contracts/year, the average price is between 430 euros and 530 euros. Similar figure to neighboring towns with similar population. In Sant Feliu de Guíxols we are in about 20 contracts per 1000 inhabitants. Palamós 17 contract, Palafrugell 18, Santa Coloma Farnés 18 and lagostera 18. Therefore, these data reflect that in Sant Feliu de Guíxols there is more activity in rental housing than in neighboring towns that have some industrial activity as well as tourism.
HABITUAL HOUSING In the 2019 incasol data annex we see that:
The usual rental prices in Sant Feliu remains below Palamos, Castell Platja d’Aro and Santa Cristina (inland town) and a little below the town of Llagostera (20km from the sea halfway to Girona).
In number of contracts Sant Feliu makes many more above Palamos, Castell Platja d’Aro Llagostera and Santa Cristina d’Aro.
Sant Feliu exceeds Palamos about 3800 inhabitants more or less and is a city with more industrial and commercial activity than Sant Feliu and also has a hospital.
In Sant Feliu de Guíxols the operators of the tourist sector have dated and observed a decrease year after year of the rent of houses for tourist use reducing every year the number of tourists and the duration of the stay. It is necessary to take into account that it has been in the last years that it has been obliged to register the HUTs in the town halls and the first, second and third year an important pedagogy was made to the owners so that they understood the necessity of registering their property, from here on the number of HUTs in the town halls has stabilized. In other towns there has been an increase in HUT rentals. Having a HUT in Sant Feliu and being lucky enough to rent for a certain period brings less benefit than the security of having it rented all year round. Tourism has decreased a lot to the population that observes how it is reduced to long weekends in stays of the owners of second homes.
According to a 2011 INE statistic, SFG homes are 75% owned, 17.55% rented and 7.32% OTHER.
There are about 17 real estate agents and 17 agents registered in icat in the town of Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Of these a few 4 or 6 working rental HUT. And of the total 34 about 18 also work the usual rent. During March 2020 and this year the Api that we work in regular housing have spoken with many owners and they have agreed to reduce rent amounts without recovering the tenants. There has been a lot of predisposition.
Sant Feliu entered the rental price index, but there is distortion in the rental prices of real estate. For example, an apartment on the seafront or second line is cheaper than an apartment 2 km from the promenade. In the downtown area – and on the promenade can be depopulated if the owners are afraid to rent for 5 years at the price of the index and they will come when they can or rent for less time. The index does not help to make renting more affordable, it reduces the number of landlords who allocate their property to regular renting.
We see that vulnerable families need help with rents of 200 euros (to say an amount). It does not help vulnerable families to stop paying 590 for paying 490 for example instead families who could pay these 590 and do not find an apartment because the owner has taken out of the rent.
In Sant Feliu homebuyers are mostly people who have a link with the population and currently live outside. People who stop living in bcn and want to retire to Sant Feliu. Some French and other European to retire and come back. Some Russian who have come to live. We do not see the existence of big investors, if there were, maybe they would unblock projects of buildings to finish.
These owners who buy and it is not their first home, most of them do not want to rent all year round for 5 years. Most of them want to enjoy it every month for their own use or at most rent between 15 days and 6 months.
Maybe what the town hall should do is to buy a house at a low price to be able to rent it at 290 euros, that would help.
In Sant Feliu de Guíxols there is a low level of family income. The demand is 450e/650e profile that end up being the prices that the owners sign the contracts.
People/families looking for a permanent home do so throughout the Aro Valley, not only in Sant Feliu.
