Else Beekman
German broadcaster DW has aired a powerful documentary shedding light on the worsening housing crisis in Mallorca, exposing the deep inequality hidden behind the island’s thriving tourism industry.
Titled ‘The Dark Side of Tourism: Mallorca’s Housing Crisis’, the programme shares stories of people struggling to make ends meet while the island caters to luxury travellers and wealthy property buyers.
Among those featured are Begoña and her son Héctor. They live in a caravan parked near the Son Hugo swimming pools in Palma. Begoña works as a parking attendant in the upmarket resort of Port d’Andratx, surrounded daily by luxury cars. Héctor has a job in a local restaurant. Together, they earn around €2,500 a month—yet they can’t find a flat they can afford.
“No one will rent to us because our contracts are only seasonal. For four months of the year, we’re technically unemployed. But I still earn money cleaning houses during that time,” says Begoña. Before moving into the caravan, they lived in a car. Faced with little hope, Héctor is now considering leaving the island.
From cramped basements to life on wheels
The documentary also follows Cristopher, a medical student renting a tiny basement room in Palma. The space is just 10 square metres, with no windows and barely any ventilation. “The air is thick, and it’s nearly 40 degrees inside,” the narrator explains. Worse still, a sewage tank sits directly beneath his room.
“It’s illegal and it’s made me sick,” Cristopher says. He pays €600 a month to live there, as do other tenants crammed into similar conditions. Despite two years of searching, he hasn’t found a decent alternative. “Small flats cost €1,000 or even €1,200. It’s just not realistic.”
Middle-class families forced out
DW links the housing emergency to the explosion in short-term holiday rentals and the influx of wealthy foreign buyers. As rents soar, many locals are simply being pushed out. A local removals company reports helping 20 to 30 middle-income families leave the island every month.
“We’ve been doing this for six years, but now we can’t keep up with the demand. I’ve never seen so many people being forced to leave,” the owner says.
In stark contrast, the documentary shows a German estate agent showcasing a luxury villa in Palma’s exclusive Son Vida neighbourhood. The agent has listed the property for €8.4 million. “This is the spa,” he says casually, guiding his client through the lavish home.
The agent blames local politicians for the crisis, criticising the high property taxes in the Balearics. “The government collects a lot of money from these deals. They could do more to invest in affordable housing,” he argues.
DW’s documentary paints a striking picture of two Mallorcas: one of wealth, comfort, and investment opportunities, and another where even full-time workers are living in caravans or basements. As tourism continues to thrive, the question remains: at what cost to the people who call the island home?
Source: Diario de Mallorca