Spain's coalition agrees on housing reforms including eviction ban until 2030
The Spanish cabinet announced a package of measures to address the housing crisis, featuring a ten-year eviction moratorium, stricter short-term rental rules and longer lease terms, after protests over the eviction of an 87-year-old tenant.
Spain's coalition government said on Tuesday it had reached a consensus on new housing legislation following the eviction of an 87-year-old pensioner in Madrid that triggered public demonstrations. Health Minister Mónica García, representing the junior coalition partner Sumar, said the draft includes a ban on evictions until 2030, tighter controls on short-term rentals and a two-year extension for existing leases.
"It’s time to intervene in the speculative housing market and begin to rebalance the scales between citizens and vulture funds," García wrote on X.
The measures still require parliamentary approval, as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez leads a minority government and must secure support from other parties. Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez is expected to present the proposal at a press conference later on Tuesday.
The legislative push follows widespread protests after images showed María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, being escorted from her Retiro-district apartment by police. The tenant, who had lived in the unit since 1956, had been involved in a legal dispute with a real-estate company for eight years. Demonstrators set up tents in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol and gathered in large numbers over the weekend.
Abascal’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, said the recent agreement would allow her client to return home and expressed hope that the new framework could change the broader housing paradigm in Spain.