RismadarVoice Reporters
November 12, 2026
Spain’s caretaker parliament has approved a package of housing measures aimed at tackling rising rents and protecting vulnerable tenants, following nationwide protests and a general strike over the country’s housing crisis.
The legislation was approved on Thursday by 35 votes to 34 in the 69-member parliamentary Standing Committee, which continues to exercise certain legislative functions following the dissolution of parliament ahead of the November 29 snap election.
However, lawmakers rejected a separate decree proposing automatic renewal of rental contracts, dealing a setback to housing campaigners demanding stronger tenant protections.
The approved measures extend eviction protections until the end of 2030 for financially or socially vulnerable tenants where regional authorities cannot provide alternative accommodation.
They also restrict certain discounted property purchases by companies, limit rent increases in designated circumstances and introduce a 10 per cent tax on tourist accommodation rentals.
Additional provisions include incentives for landlords who reduce rents and government-backed loans to assist prospective homeowners with deposits.
The parliamentary decision followed Wednesday’s nationwide general strike, Spain’s first in 14 years, which brought thousands of demonstrators onto the streets of Madrid, Barcelona and other cities.
Trade unions and housing campaigners protested rising rents, inadequate wages and the increasing difficulty of securing affordable accommodation.
The demonstrations disrupted transport, industrial activities and other services, although estimates of participation varied between unions and employers.
Public anger over housing conditions intensified following the eviction of 87-year-old Madrid pensioner Maricarmen Abascal in September.
Abascal, who had lived in her home for more than seven decades, died in October, prompting widespread protests and renewed demands for stronger protections against eviction.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist-led government had introduced the housing decrees in October, but their initial rejection contributed to the decision to call an early general election.
Opposition parties have criticised the government’s approach, arguing that tighter rental regulations could discourage investment and reduce the supply of available housing.
Conservative opposition leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo has pledged to repeal the measures if his party forms the next government.
Housing campaigners, meanwhile, maintain that stronger protections are necessary to prevent displacement and improve rental security.
With the automatic-renewal proposal rejected and a general election approaching, the future of Spain’s housing reforms remains uncertain.
