So, you may or may not know about the housing situation here in Sevilla. Over the past ten years or so we have lost so many of our neighbourhoods to tourist apartments and boutique hotels taking away from us what used to be our homes. I moved here in 1993 and after 18 years in Barrio Santa Cruz I was forced to move. Ended up in a place with all-night bars which meant five years of no sleep… then in 2017 I happened upon the place I live now. It’s smaller than my other apartments (had to down-size, got rid of lots of STUFF) but that was fine because it’s just so cosy and charming here and I love the neighbourhood. And I damn well know that now – in 2024 – I would never find anything even remotely similar in the centre of Sevilla at a price I could afford.

Right now I am on a year-to-year contract. And omg this gives me so much anxiety. Because what if one year my landlord decides not to renew? Here rent increases are based on the annual IPC, which varies from year to year and this year the percentage is 3%. Given the scarcity of dwellings many landlords choose to oust tenants and get new ones in at a much higher rent. So far this hasn’t happened but I always worry that it might (because it has before).

Today I signed my new contract for the upcoming year, same as last year, but with a significant bump in the rent. I know it’s not within the legal guidelines but I also wasn’t about to argue, because I really don’t want to lose my home. We can just about afford the increase, at least better than the cost of moving (both financially and emotionally). And so this Casa Azahar will continue for another year, and hopefully many more to come.