Spain’s cabinet approves housing decrees after Madrid eviction protests

Spain’s cabinet approved two housing decrees on Tuesday that would extend protections against the eviction of vulnerable households to 2030 and change rental rules. The measures followed protests over the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid. They still require separate votes in Congress, where the governing coalition does not have a majority.

The government has requested an extraordinary parliamentary sitting for Friday, 2 October, to seek approval for both texts, EL PAÍS and Cadena SER reported. Cabinet approval establishes what the government is proposing; it does not settle which provisions Congress will accept. The complete legal texts and their detailed eligibility rules were not available in the reporting reviewed.

What the two decrees contain

The first decree would extend protection against evictions for vulnerable households until 2030, according to both outlets. It would also regulate temporary rentals and rentals by the room. Reports describe a proposed two-year extension for rental contracts due to expire by the end of 2028. The precise conditions for those provisions will depend on the final legal text.

Other measures reported for the first decree include restrictions until 2028 on purchases by so-called vulture funds, tax measures, help for some first-time buyers and steps to increase public housing. Cadena SER reported that Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez outlined zero-interest financing through the public credit institute for up to 20% of a first home’s value, capped at €50,000. EL PAÍS reported the same ceiling and said Rodríguez had not clarified whether eligibility would be limited to young buyers.

Splitting the package matters politically because lawmakers can decide the fate of each decree separately. Cadena SER reported that parties including Junts and the Basque Nationalist party did not support automatic renewal. Rodríguez acknowledged that this part had been discussed less with parliamentary groups. The coalition therefore faces a less certain path for the second decree, even if lawmakers support other housing measures.

The eviction behind the protests

The announcement came six days after Maricarmen Abascal, 87, was evicted from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for about 71 years. EFE reported on 23 September that she left the building on a stretcher and was taken by ambulance to hospital. The agency reported that she had a recognised 50% disability. Her case became a focus for campaigners seeking stronger protections for tenants.

Rodríguez invoked Abascal’s case while explaining the proposed eviction protections. Cadena SER reported that the minister said she wanted to prevent another case like it and curb speculation. That is the government’s stated purpose. Whether the proposed rules would cover circumstances like Abascal’s, or prevent similar evictions, cannot be determined from the summaries available so far.

Abascal’s individual housing dispute has since moved toward a settlement. EL PAÍS reported that Urbagestión reached an agreement allowing her to return under a new eight-year contract with rent capped at 30% of her net income. The paper reported on Tuesday that she had accepted the arrangement while still in hospital and expected to return after discharge. Her lawyer said the agreement came late, after the eviction had already taken place.

The settlement does not resolve the wider demands of tenants’ campaigners. EL PAÍS reported that the Madrid tenants’ union intended to continue its encampment because its demands went beyond Abascal’s case. The government’s response will now be tested in Congress: each decree needs parliamentary backing, and the outcome of either vote remains open.