Pensioner, 83, ‘lives in poverty’ in Spain because her tenant ‘hasn’t paid rent in two years’ – but are there two sides to the story? CSN News

A pensioner, aged 83, from Carranque (Toledo), claims to be in financial difficulty after her tenant, who allegedly did not pay rent for the past two years, accused her to have contributed to a suicide.

Paquita tells Cuatro’s programme En Boca de Todos She rented out the house of her deceased mother to supplement her pension. 

She claims that Beatriz stopped paying rent 24 months ago, and blames Paquita since then for her own struggles.

READ MORE As housing crisis spirals, squatters are moving into the seafront ruin of Palma de Mallorca in Spain.

The old lady told the news outlet that Beatriz even went to court ‘crying her eyes out,’ and supposedly said that she slit her wrists because of Paquita. 

The landlady continued: “I thought of my age and decided that I could live off my pension plus the rent. If she doesn’t pay me, how will I be able to live?”

Beatriz acknowledged her financial difficulties in an interview with the programme, stating that Paquita ‘was supposed to carry out some repairs on the house, but she didn’t,’ due to various ‘issues’. 

She claimed that Paquita had also threatened her: “She said that her sons would come and kick me out.”

Paquita holds a lot of sentimental value to the house, as it was her mother’s old home.

She had hoped that the rental income she would receive in retirement would be enough to provide her with comfort. 

A resolution is not expected before September. The dispute has been referred to the courts.

This case demonstrates the difficulties faced by Spanish landlords, where legal procedures can be long and property owner protections are often contested.