Local residents in Lanzarote are being forced to live in their vehicles due to a housing shortage caused by a proliferation of holiday rental flats. The shortage and high cost of rented housing have increased the number of people living in vans in car parks around the island.

According to a recent survey, housing has become the main issue of concern for residents on the holiday island. Over the last four years, since January 2021, the average sale price has increased by a whopping 40%, from €1,878 to the current €2,655 per square metre. As a result, many people, from workers to small business owners, are unable to afford rent or mortgages on their meagre wages.