Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain on Saturday as anger over rents, evictions and the shortage of affordable homes intensified following the rejection of two government housing measures by parliament
Demonstrations were held in more than 50 cities on 3 October, bringing housing affordability back to the centre of Spain’s political debate.
In Madrid, the government delegation estimated that about 70,000 people attended the main demonstration, while organisers gave a considerably higher figure.
The protests came one day after Spain’s Congress rejected two Royal Decree-Laws introduced by the minority government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The measures had been presented as an emergency response to the country’s housing pressures, including proposals aimed at protecting vulnerable tenants, increasing affordable housing and providing greater stability for some rental contracts.
Parliament rejects two housing measures
The Spanish Congress debated two separate housing decrees on 2 October.
The first, Royal Decree-Law 26/2026, contained measures covering the social function of housing and the expansion of affordable supply.
Among its provisions were temporary measures affecting certain property acquisitions, protections for vulnerable people facing eviction without alternative accommodation, stronger protections for tenants and rules concerning large property owners.
The second measure, Royal Decree-Law 27/2026, focused on strengthening the stability of contracts for habitual residential rentals.
The measures failed to secure parliamentary approval.
The Popular Party, Vox and Junts opposed the government proposals. Junts argued that the measures did not address the fundamental shortage of housing and could discourage owners from placing properties on the rental market.
That disagreement reflects one of the central arguments surrounding Spain’s housing crisis: whether stronger regulation can protect tenants without reducing the supply of homes available to rent.
Housing pressure spreads across Spanish cities
The demonstrations took place against a backdrop of growing pressure on renters in several major Spanish cities.
Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have experienced strong housing demand while available homes remain limited.
The growth of tourism and short-term accommodation has also become part of the debate, particularly in areas where residents compete with visitors for a limited supply of housing.
For tenant organisations, stronger protections are necessary to prevent households from being priced out or losing their homes.
Property groups and opponents of tighter regulation have taken a different position, arguing that excessive restrictions can make landlords less willing to rent properties and can weaken incentives to build additional housing.
The disagreement therefore extends beyond rent levels. It is increasingly about how Spain can increase the number of homes available while protecting people who are already struggling with housing costs.
Eviction case becomes symbol of housing crisis
The protests have also been influenced by the case of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, who was removed from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for decades.
Her case became a rallying point for housing campaigners seeking stronger protection for tenants.
The dispute has helped bring wider attention to the difficulties faced by long-term tenants when rents rise and properties change ownership or use.
For campaigners, the case illustrates the vulnerability of people who may have lived in the same home for many years but face losing it when the economics of the property change.
Europe’s wider housing problem
Spain’s housing dispute is taking place alongside a broader affordability problem across Europe.
The latest Eurostat figures show that EU house prices increased by 4.7% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, while rents increased by 3.0%.
Compared with the first quarter, house prices increased by 1.2% and rents by 0.7%.
The figures help explain why housing affordability has become a major political issue in countries across the continent.
While national housing markets differ, many cities are dealing with some combination of limited supply, rising demand, higher construction costs and pressure from short-term accommodation.
EU steps up its housing response
The European Union has also begun developing a broader response.
The European Commission presented its first European Affordable Housing Plan in December 2025.
The plan focuses on increasing housing supply, mobilising investment, supporting reforms and addressing short-term rentals in areas experiencing housing pressure.
The Commission said house prices across the EU had increased by more than 60% over the previous decade, while rents had risen by more than 20%.
The Commission subsequently launched the European Housing Alliance, bringing together national governments, regions, cities and housing-sector organisations to share approaches and work on Europe’s housing challenges.
The European approach, however, does not replace national housing policy.
Housing remains largely a responsibility of national, regional and local authorities, meaning countries such as Spain must still decide how to balance tenant protections, rental regulation, housing construction and investment.
The difficult question of housing supply
Spain’s latest political dispute highlights a problem facing governments across Europe.
Renters want greater security and protection from sharp increases in housing costs. At the same time, governments need landlords and developers to continue providing homes.
Policies that strengthen tenant protection can address immediate problems for households, but governments also face pressure to increase the underlying supply of affordable housing.
That makes construction, planning, investment and the availability of long-term rental homes central to the debate.
Short-term rentals add another layer of complexity in tourist-heavy cities, where homes can potentially generate higher returns as visitor accommodation than as conventional long-term rentals.
What happens next in Spain?
The rejection of the two decrees does not end Spain’s housing debate.
The demonstrations show that housing remains a major source of public pressure, while the parliamentary vote illustrates the difficulty faced by the minority government in securing support for major housing legislation.
For tenants, the immediate concern remains the cost and availability of homes.
For landlords and property investors, the question is whether additional regulation will provide greater certainty or make the rental market less attractive.
And for policymakers, the central challenge remains the same: how to create more affordable housing while protecting existing tenants and maintaining enough supply to meet demand.
Spain’s protests therefore form part of a much larger European housing debate — one in which rising prices and rents are forcing governments to confront difficult choices over regulation, investment and the future supply of homes.
