Spain Protesters Demand Lower Rents After Housing Legislation Fails

Thousands of protesters took to the streets across Spain on Saturday, demanding lower rents, an end to evictions, and restrictions on investment funds buying residential property after the government failed to pass emergency housing legislation in Congress. About 50 planned marches took place in cities including Madrid, Valencia, and Barcelona following the parliamentary defeat.

Parliamentary Defeat Blocks Emergency Housing Decrees

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s leftist coalition government submitted emergency housing legislation to Congress split into two separate decrees on Friday. The package included suspending evictions for vulnerable tenants until 2030, extending rental leases expiring before 2028 by two years, raising taxes on tourist apartments, restricting property purchases by investment funds, and automatically renewing rental contracts. Members of parliament rejected the first decree by 178 votes to 172 and voted against the second by 184 to 166.

The minority government, comprising the Socialist Party and junior partner the Sumar alliance, relied on smaller nationalist parties. However, the centre-right pro-independence party Together for Catalonia (JxCat) signaled opposition on the eve of the vote, joining the conservative People’s Party (PP) and far-right Vox to defeat both measures. The legislative collapse heightened speculation that Sánchez might call an early general election originally scheduled for next summer.

Street Protests and Clashes Erupt Across Spanish Cities

The legislative failure intensified anger on the streets. Protesters clashed with police officers on Saturday near the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía arts center in Valencia, where a real estate summit was taking place. Demonstrators removed barriers and threw objects at police officers, who responded by firing rubber bullets. Protesters also camped for days in Madrid’s central Puerta des Sol square.

Crowd size estimates varied sharply between organizers and officials. Madrid’s Tenants’ Union estimated the capital’s turnout at 500,000 people, while government officials placed the figure at 70,000. A spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants’ Union stated that anger in the streets was profound following months of surging housing costs.

The nationwide demonstrations gained momentum following the September eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal after she could not afford a sharp rent increase. Although public backlash forced the property owner, Urbagestión, to negotiate her return at a low rent, subsequent protests continued to grow.

Housing Shortages Persist Ahead of Next Political Decisions

The Bank of Spain estimates that the country faces a shortage of 700,000 homes due to the gap between rising demand and new construction.

More on this story: Madrid Housing Protesters Camp in Puerta del Sol to Fight Evictions