Andorra Landlord Wins Eviction After Company Overcrowds Rental Apartment

A property owner in Andorra la Vella has successfully evicted a company from a rented apartment after discovering it was being used to house multiple employees, in violation of the lease terms.

The lease agreement, which cost 918 euros per month, explicitly stated that the apartment could only be used by the company representative and their family. Acting on received information, the owner conducted an inspection and found the property occupied by several workers from the firm. The apartment also failed to meet basic hygiene and cleanliness standards.

The owner promptly notified the company of the contract's termination, demanding it vacate the premises within 15 days. When the company did not comply, the matter proceeded to court, where judges ruled in the owner's favour, ordering the eviction.

The company contested the decision, arguing it had not sublet the property and that the clause restricting use to the named tenant and family was discriminatory. It claimed no objective legal basis existed for limiting occupancy to one person or family, and suggested the restriction amounted to nationality-based discrimination since the workers were foreigners.

The court rejected these arguments. It found it proven that the apartment was occupied by multiple employees rather than the individuals specified in the contract. Even without evidence of subletting, this breached the eighth clause, which made personal and family use an essential condition of the agreement.

The judges also dismissed claims of nationality discrimination, noting no proof that the clause aimed at or resulted in such bias. The provision was not based on personal or social criteria like ethnic origin, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or similar factors.

The property owner prevailed again on appeal, securing the eviction in the second instance. Authorities have not commented further on whether similar cases are under review.