Spain Passes Eviction Limits for Tenants Until End of 2030
Spain's parliament cleared housing measures limiting evictions of vulnerable tenants to 2030, but rejected automatic contract renewal. A vote is set for Nov. 29.
Spain’s parliament has approved housing measures that restrict the eviction of vulnerable tenants who have no alternative accommodation until the end of 2030, The Local Spain reported. The measures also curb the purchase of homes by so-called vulture funds. Lawmakers rejected the automatic renewal of tenant contracts, a main demand of housing activists.
The Popular Party, the conservative opposition that leads most polls ahead of the Nov. 29 vote, has vowed to repeal the measures.
How the measures reached a vote
Housing costs have been a problem in Spain for years. National anger grew in September, when 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from her lifelong home in Madrid after the real estate company that owned it raised the rent sharply. She later died. Large demonstrations followed across the country, and protest camps stayed up for weeks in several cities. The biggest was in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol square.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist government rushed out two decrees. They included stronger protection for tenants against eviction and the automatic renewal of tenant contracts. His minority government could not pass them in parliament, and Sánchez then called a general election that had been scheduled for 2027.
After the decrees were rejected, the main unions called a general strike over affordable housing, wages and public services. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets on Wednesday. Readers who commute or work in Barcelona can find the rules on notice periods and minimum services in our guide to strikes in Spain.
Why a smaller body decided it
Sánchez brought back two decrees that were almost identical to the rejected ones. On Thursday they went to a smaller parliamentary body, the Standing Council, which has 69 members, including MPs and the speaker. Its makeup mirrors the size of the groups in the 350-seat chamber, which had repeatedly blocked Sánchez’s initiatives.
That gave the government a better chance. Junts, the pro-business Catalan separatist party, has seven MPs and voted down both original decrees. It has only one representative on the Standing Council, so its position no longer decided the outcome.
What the approved measures cover
- Evictions of vulnerable tenants without alternative accommodation are restricted until the end of 2030.
- The acquisition of homes by vulture funds, which buy properties cheaply in pursuit of higher returns, is curbed. These funds were a frequent target of the protests.
- Automatic renewal of tenant contracts was not approved.
What this means for tenants and the election
Tenants facing eviction who qualify as vulnerable and have no other place to live fall under the restriction, which runs until the end of 2030. The lack of automatic renewal means contract renewals stay as they were.
The Popular Party says the measures will hurt the housing market and proposes a large building program as the answer to the crisis. Because the party tops most polls ahead of the Nov. 29 election and has promised to repeal the measures, the vote may decide how long they last.
Source: The Local Spain
