As of: February 8, 2024, 5:18 a.m
By: Julia Volkenand
Comments
Press
Split
Landlords in Croatia have discovered a new business model: foreign workers are being exploited on the housing market.
They pay top prices for minimal living space and often have to live in degrading conditions.
Munich - In Germany, the search for an apartment is increasingly becoming a horror scenario for interested parties.
Exorbitant rental prices, mold infestation or simply fake advertisements make the process much more difficult.
Similar challenges also arise in other countries, as current real estate advertisements in Croatia show.
The headlines of the advertisements often contain “Accommodation for foreign workers,” which initially doesn’t seem very meaningful.
However , according to Croatian website
dnevnik.hr,
the advertised properties are far from luxury accommodation.
Some advertisements are even “simply outrageous.”
The reason for these strange titles is the increasing number of foreigners working in Croatia.
In fact, more and more workers are leaving the country to look for work in Western Europe.
The Croatian labor market is therefore increasingly relying on workers from Asia.
Of course, these need to be accommodated, and property owners see an opportunity to make quick money by redesigning their properties specifically for foreign tenants.
Housing market in Croatia: Foreign workers trapped
The advantage for landlords?
The apartments are not rented out in full, but rather in proportion.
The tenants share an apartment, often even a room.
In order to be able to accommodate more people in a small space, bunk beds are often set up.
The number of people accommodated varies from advert to advert, but it is quite common to accommodate up to four people in one room.
For example, one advertisement advertised a 20 square meter apartment that could accommodate up to four people.
This corresponds to just 5 square meters per person.
According to the portal, you could find a suitable apartment for four people in a comparable location for the same price.
The Croatian coast is also very popular with German holidaymakers.
(Archive image) © IMAGO/Ulderico Granger/Cavan Images
Five square meters for 200 euros - those looking for an apartment in Croatia have to be careful
However, the rent is considerable: the landlord charged 200 euros in basic rent per person, which means a total of 800 euros per month for his 20 square meters.
The prices for “accommodation for foreign workers” are no better either.
Tenants often have to pay between 170 and 250 euros for a shared room.
This may seem like a small amount at first, but it quickly adds up, especially when you consider the condition of the property.
But why do house hunters even accept such offers?
In order to obtain a residence permit in Croatia, you must be able to provide proof of adequate accommodation.
This is stated in Article 104 of the Aliens Act, which deals with seasonal workers.
However, foreign workers don't just have to be careful when looking for accommodation.
Xenophobic statements and attacks are on the rise, and conspiracy theories are on the rise.
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Machine assistance was used for this article written by the editorial team. The article was carefully checked by the editor before publication.