From corner shop to condo

Jesús Hinojosa

Málaga

Friday, 21 February 2025, 16:27

The number of shops converted to apartments in Malaga continues to rise due to the high demand for housing and the lack of supply. In light of this, SUR has looked at the list of licences approved since May 2024 by the municipal urban planning authority.

According to this report, 595 new residential units have been authorised by the city council, which is approximately two a day in commercial spaces.

The months which saw the most activity were May and July of last year, with 100 and 107 new housing units approved, respectively. This phenomenon has affected all the city and even includes cases of licences to divide a property into two or three residences.

To convert commercial premises into living spaces, several requirements must be met regarding the total surface area, lighting and ventilation of the property.

The height must be at least 2.70 metres and all habitable rooms must have an opening for natural light and ventilation. The surface area of an apartment cannot be less than 30.5 square metres.

It is also necessary to verify whether the neighbourhhood has reached the maximum density of housing allowed by urban planning regulations. If the premises meet these conditions, the owner must present an adaptation project signed by a technician.

In addition to the conditions required by the city council, there may be other obstacles to these developments. For example, the local community may object to the converting of commercial premises into housing.

The city council has authorised 17 new tourist apartment buildings since May last year, roughly 240 units of accommodation. The municipal government expects to regulate this type of development more in the coming years.

An example of this tourist development is Suba’s construction of 37 apartments in the neighborhood of El Palo.

The council has also recently approved the construction of tourist apartments in the neighbourhood of Victoria and 14 tourist apartments in Capuchinos.