The families from 19 Pinto Street have been unable to pay rent to Sareb for months, which has not responded to their attempts to regularise the contracts. Organised as 'Bloque en Lucha', they report living in a legal limbo.
The 17 families residing in the blocks on 19 Pinto Street, Fuenlabrada have been trapped in a situation of uncertainty for months. Since October 2022, they stopped receiving the usual rent receipts and now do not know who to pay or how to regularise their stay in their own homes. The building passed into the hands of Sareb, the so-called 'bad bank', after the bankruptcy of the original developer, and since then the neighbours claim they have unsuccessfully tried to open a negotiation channel.
“We want to pay and legalise our situation, but no one is providing a solution,” explain the neighbours, who say they feel “like squatters in our own home.”
The lack of response from Sareb has created a great psychological pressure among the residents, who fear ending up on the street. Two families have reportedly left the property in recent months due to the fear of losing their homes, according to the affected parties.
A 'Bloque en Lucha' to demand rental contracts
In light of the lack of progress, the families from Pinto Street have decided to organise as 'Bloque en Lucha', with the support of the Madrid Tenants' Union. Since April 2025, they claim to have submitted the necessary documentation several times to formalise new leases, but Sareb has only offered contracts to some of the residents, leaving the rest without a definitive response.
The neighbours demand rents adjusted to their incomes and stability to be able to continue living in their homes. “If one is touched, we all are,” is one of the messages the families advocate, seeking to prevent any attempt at eviction.
Vulnerable families among the affected
Among those affected are minors with disabilities, dependent individuals, retirees, single mothers, and young people who have been living in the building for years. The uncertainty is generating a situation of distress that the neighbours describe as an “invisible eviction.”
For the resident of Fuenlabrada, this situation reflects the lack of protection for tenants in the hands of large landlords. Sareb, as a partly public entity, should set an example, but families report that they do not receive any response.
Over a hundred people support the protest
The demand has reached the streets of Fuenlabrada. After an informative campaign at the municipal market, more than a hundred people gathered in front of the building on Pinto Street to show their support for the residents. The mobilization ended with a parade to the old fairgrounds, where a community assembly was held.
The families assure that they will maintain their protests until they achieve a solution and that they will not allow any neighbour to be expelled from their home due to lack of agreement. Sareb has not publicly communicated a response to the neighbours' complaints so far. Meanwhile, the affected continue in suspense, waiting for the 'bad bank' to decide to sit down to negotiate.
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