Spain moves to extend eviction protections to 2030
14:55, 29/09/2026, TuesdayU: Update: 15:16, 29/09/2026, Tuesday
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Protesters continue their tent-city demonstration at Sol Square, demanding solutions from central and regional governments to combat the country's housing crisis, following the court-ordered and police-enforced eviction on September 23 of 87-year-old Mari Carmen, a symbolic figure who became unable to afford the rent on her 70-year residence on September 29, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.Spain's government has agreed on two housing decrees to extend eviction protections until 2030 and temporarily curb residential purchases by "vulture funds." Madrid is seeking an extraordinary parliamentary session Friday to win approval, as protests over the housing crisis continue.
Spain's government agreed Tuesday on two housing decrees that would extend eviction protections through 2030 and temporarily restrict residential property purchases by so-called "vulture funds," as Madrid races to respond to a deepening housing crisis. The measures, hammered out by the governing Socialist Party (PSOE) and its junior coalition partner Sumar, would bar such investment funds from buying homes until 2028 and regulate seasonal and room rentals, according to Europa Press.
Rental contracts extended
Existing rental contracts due to expire before Dec. 31, 2028, would also be extended by two years, while the coalition agreed on the automatic renewal of rental contracts, to be included in the second decree. The government requested an extraordinary session of Congress on Friday in a bid to secure immediate parliamentary approval of both decrees, the report said. The Cabinet meeting began about an hour late Tuesday amid last-minute negotiations, as Sumar pushed for rules covering room rentals and automatic contract extensions, two demands also raised by the Madrid tenants' union.
Eviction of 87-year-old sparks protests
The agreement follows protests over Spain's housing crisis after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid home where she had lived for 71 years. Hundreds of people have been camping in Madrid's Puerta del Sol demanding stronger tenant protections after police removed her from the property last week. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez cited her case on Monday while promising urgent action. "Patriotism is also preventing an 87-year-old woman, who has spent 70 years faithfully paying her rent in the same home, in the same neighborhood, from ending up on the street after a lifetime in that house," Sanchez said.
Race to pass housing package
The government has been hurrying to reach agreement on a housing package after previous legislation failed to clear parliament in July. Rising rents and limited supply have turned housing into one of Spain's most politically charged issues, with tenant groups pressing for stronger safeguards and investors warning that tighter rules could chill new construction. The proposed curbs on investment fund purchases and the extension of eviction protections mark one of the coalition's most direct interventions in the market so far.