Spain's coalition government approved sweeping housing measures on September 29, 2026, including an eviction ban extending through 2030.
The cabinet issued two emergency decrees that immediately cap vulnerable tenant evictions, extend existing leases through 2028, restrict short-term vacation rentals, and restrict real estate purchases by corporate investment funds.
Parliament must vote on the measures within 30 days.
The legislative action followed civil unrest triggered by the eviction of Maria del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen.
An investment firm acquired her long-term Madrid residence in 2018 and increased her rent from roughly $570 to $1,880 monthly, exceeding her pension.
Abascal was removed from her home on a stretcher by police officers and hospitalized for exhaustion, prompting tens of thousands of demonstrators to set up encampments at Madrid's Puerta del Sol square and stage marches across major Spanish cities.
Following the public backlash, representatives for the landlord negotiated a settlement allowing Abascal to return under an eight-year lease capped at approximately $570 per month, representing roughly 30 percent of her pension.
Government officials stated the executive action responds directly to the public demand for structural interventions against real estate speculation.
Cabinet Members and Opposition React
"It is time to intervene in the speculative housing market and start striking a balance between ordinary citizens and vulture funds," said Mónica García, Spanish Health Minister and Sumar alliance member.
García directly acknowledged the role of public demonstrations in pressuring the cabinet to pass the emergency measures.
"Thanks to the mobilisations and the encampments. Without you, this would not have been possible," said García.
Cabinet members framed the parliamentary vote as a critical test of legislative support for vulnerable renters affected by market pressures.
"Congress has the opportunity to tell Maricarmen that her suffering was worth it... and that many people will benefit from her battle," said Isabel Rodríguez, Spanish Housing Minister.
Cabinet ministers aligned with the junior coalition partner emphasized that the decrees represent the initial phase of broader economic reforms.
"a first step towards the economic and social transformation of the country," said Pablo Bustinduy, Minister of Social Rights.
Opposition lawmakers expressed concern that the broad definitions within the decrees unfairly penalize small-scale property owners alongside corporate investment entities.
"We all agreed that evictions - where the property is owned by a fund, a vulture fund, run by someone managing millions of euros - obviously need to be stopped," said Míriam Nogueras, spokeswoman for Junts.
Nogueras argued that the current text fails to differentiate between institutional investors and private citizens who invested savings into personal property.
"Lumping together in this category those who have invested their savings in a flat, a restaurant or a property - putting them all in the same basket - is a mistake," said Nogueras.
Housing activist organizations indicated that civil society groups will analyze the final text to ensure full protections while continuing public demonstrations.
"only just begun," said Valeria Racu, spokeswoman for the Madrid Tenants' Union.
Union representatives stressed that activists are monitoring the legislative process closely to verify the enforcement of the announced protections.
"We all have our eyes on the text, on the small print, to make sure this is the Maricarmen decree," said Alicia del Río, spokeswoman for the Madrid Tenants' Union.
Legal representatives for the affected tenant stated that the settlement outcome demonstrates the influence of organized public pressure on housing disputes.
"result of the social mobilization," said Beatriz Duro, lawyer for Maricarmen Abascal.
Duro noted that formalizing the resolution offers a positive alternative to standard eviction proceedings occurring across the country.
"If this agreement we have reached is signed, it will obviously be a better and happier outcome for everyone," said Duro.
The defense attorney expressed hope that the high-profile case would alter legal and administrative approaches to residential displacement in Spain.
"Hopefully this agreement, this different way of ending this type of situation, which is unfortunately experienced every day in this country, helps to change the paradigm when it comes to housing in general," said Duro.
Central bank estimates indicate Spain faces a structural deficit of 755,000 housing units relative to current demand, with the shortfall projected to reach one million units by 2028.
