Six from Mali in a luxury renovated flat: who pays the bill?

Who is paying for the luxury flat where six men from Mali are living

A flat renovated down to the last detail —doors, insulation, pipes, bathrooms, kitchen, and even home automation— to house six men from Mali. The setting is a block in Granada, and the description comes from a neighbour on the same floor: the property was left empty when its elderly owner passed away and remained without a for-sale or for-rent sign for years. The work began in April and continued until two or three weeks ago.

The building manager confirmed that the new residents are there legally and that there are six of them, without providing further details. This is where the anecdote ends and the uncomfortable question begins: who is footing the bill for a luxury social rental that no one has openly signed for.

The social rental agreement signed by administrations, ultimately paid for by the taxpayer

The mechanism that, according to the hypothesis held by several participants in the discussion, fits the description is not arcane. It involves agreements where a property owner transfers their flat to a municipality or provincial council's social rental scheme in exchange for guaranteed rent, IBI (property tax) discounts of up to 90%, and full property management. The appeal for the owner is clear: they receive payment without hassle and are not involved in any management. The agreed rent is usually below market rates, but the payment security compensates.

The problem arises on the landing. The administration then allocates these flats to groups at risk of exclusion, leading to friction: noise, occupant rotation, and poorly maintained buildings. Chiringuito (a slang term for dubious or unofficial operations) is the word most often used to describe some third-sector entities acting as intermediaries. In this specific case, there is no single public document confirming who pays or how much.

The figures circulating: from 400 to 4,000 euros per tenant

It is important to distinguish between what is known and what is estimated. Confirmed: only that there are six people in a three-bedroom flat, two of them small. The rest are crossed estimates. One landlord claims to have received 400 euros per person from the regional government, with four or five tenants rotating every few months and recurring aid for painting and replacing furnishings. At the other extreme, some speak of 3,500 to 4,000 euros per tenant in reception programs managed by entities.

Offers also appear from associations that commit to paying 800 euros in rent directly to the landlord, sometimes more than a private individual would pay. None of these amounts come from an apparent contract. They are market and experience figures, not official accounting, and should be read as such.

What happens to the flat's value and the building's harmony?

The cost is not borne solely by the renting owner. Some argue that the neighbours pay for it. The arrival of a supported or referred housing unit in a building would, according to this view, lead to a drop in market value for the other flats, which some estimate at 30,000 to 50,000 euros less if the property deteriorates. Those wanting to sell to move would be too late, and the risk profile is summarised in a pattern starting to circulate in the thread: buildings with elderly, childless residents, and inherited flats that no one claims.

Training as a parallel business: the SAMU School of Trades

Alongside the rental aspect, another element is linked by several participants to the same model. The SAMU School of Trades has launched a training program for unemployed young people, with four-month courses in trades such as bricklaying, gardening, welding, hospitality, or support for people with disabilities, including internships. The stated goal is job placement; the money, according to available information, is public.

The reasonable doubt raised by forum users concerns the legal framework in which the entity operates and the source of its budget. Four months of training is less than any vocational training cycle, and the label minor is sometimes applied to people older than their own instructors. Hovering over it all is the suspicion that the business lies more in the subsidy than in the final employment.

Some summarise the issue with a phrase: without the arrival of a foreign population, there would be surplus housing in Spain today.