Plataforma 2015 demands housing rule changes in Catalonia
On November 5, 2026, in Barcelona, the Plataforma 2015 per l’Accés a l’Habitatge will stage a covered encampment to demand regulatory changes that would facilitate the sale and rental of second-hand homes lacking habitability certificates, Idealista reported. The initiative seeks to pressure political parties and the regional president into modifying Catalan housing decrees.
The organization, which represents builders, real estate professionals, landlords, and tenants, argues that current administrative hurdles keep thousands of habitable homes off the market. According to documents submitted by the platform, property owners face significant delays or outright denials from the Agència de l’Habitatge de Catalunya when attempting to secure second-occupation habitability certificates.
Proposed Regulatory Amendments for Catalan Real Estate
To resolve the supply bottleneck, the platform has drafted a specific modification to articles 10 and 11 of Decree 141/2012. The proposal stipulates that in second-hand housing transactions, buyers and sellers could agree before a notary to substitute the traditional habitability certificate with a registered application accompanied by a favorable technical certificate issued by a competent professional. This same mechanism would also apply to utility contracts, allowing applicants to present the technical paperwork directly to utility companies.
The platform estimates that more than 82,000 homes are affected across Catalonia. However, the organization’s distributed materials contain conflicting figures. An email communication cites 82,762 properties, while a formal burofax sent to the Col·legi d’Arquitectes de Catalunya (COAC) lists 82,672 files linked to habitability requests denied or archived between 2013 and 2025. The supplied documentation does not separate these files by the specific reason for denial, nor does it quantify how many of these properties are currently vacant or would immediately enter the market if the reform passes.
Property Owners Report Documentation Discrepancies and Administrative Delays
Architects and property owners interviewed in the platform’s background reports point to widespread discrepancies between physical properties and their official documentation, alongside difficulties in proving the prior residential use of certain spaces.
The Generalitat maintains that it applies existing regulations alongside local councils and processes applications within established legal timeframes. Meanwhile, the platform’s campaign includes outreach to professional associations such as the COAC, though the documents provided do not indicate formal acceptance or endorsement from the recipient colleges.