Spain's cabinet approves housing decrees restricting evictions until 2030 after Madrid protests

Spain's coalition cabinet approved housing measures on Tuesday 29 September 2026. They include restrictions on evictions until 2030. The BBC and The Guardian report that the cabinet approved the measures as two decrees.

The measures also include stricter rules on short-term rentals and an extension of existing rental contracts. They also ban housing purchases by investment firms, which the government calls "vulture funds". Health Minister Mónica García, of the junior coalition partner Sumar, announced the package. The Socialists and Sumar negotiated the measures up to the cabinet meeting.

The coalition led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lacks a majority in parliament, which must approve the decrees. The government has 30 days from publication to win approval in Congress. It is seeking a vote as soon as Friday 2 October. According to the BBC, the decrees take effect immediately. The BBC also reports that right-leaning parties blocked a decree to roll over rental contracts in April. According to The Guardian, conservative Catalan and Basque parties are believed to back the first decree and are likely to vote down the second. The Guardian does not say who made this assessment.

The decrees followed the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, 87, from her Madrid flat on Wednesday 23 September. She was taken out on a stretcher. Her father first rented the flat in 1956. A company bought the property in 2018. The BBC and The Guardian name it as Urbagestión. On Monday 28 September, Abascal's lawyer announced a deal that would let her return home.

The eviction set off protests in Madrid that spread to other parts of Spain. Thousands marched in Madrid on Saturday 26 September. Protesters have camped in Puerta del Sol since that night.

What is disputed

• Eviction ban: The BBC, DW, The Hindu and the South China Morning Post describe a general ban until 2030. The Guardian describes extended restrictions on evicting vulnerable tenants.
• Lease extension: The reports give different terms. These range from contracts rolled over until 2028 (BBC) to a two-year extension (DW) to automatic renewal (The Hindu).
• Abascal's rent: The Guardian reports an original demand of €1,650 a month. The Hindu cites the Madrid Tenants' Union as saying the rent was raised to €2,650.
• Abascal's deal: The BBC says she had yet to sign it. The Guardian and SCMP say she accepted it.

What each side says

In a post on X quoted by DW, García wrote: "It's time to intervene in the speculative housing market and begin to rebalance the scales between citizens and vulture funds." Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez urged parties to back the decrees. The BBC quoted her as saying: "Congress has the opportunity to tell Maricarmen that her suffering was worth it... and that many people will benefit from her battle".

Míriam Nogueras of the Catalan party Junts told RTVE, according to the BBC, that treating small investors like large funds "is a mistake". People's Party leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo dismissed the proposals, according to The Guardian. The Madrid Tenants' Union opposes splitting the measures into separate decrees. It has called for more protests next weekend.

Analysis

The decrees' future depends on a parliament where the government lacks a majority. Their structure matters. If the reports are accurate that some parties may back one decree and oppose the other, parts of the package could pass while others fail. Junts has said it wants protection for small landlords, which suggests possible room for negotiation. The Madrid Tenants' Union says it will judge the final text and has called for more protests. How the decrees define the eviction ban and the lease extension is still unclear. That definition is likely to shape both the parliamentary debate and public reaction.

Traceability
Sources (5): BBC News · The Guardian · Deutsche Welle · South China Morning Post · The Hindu
Independent origins: 4 · Perspectives covered: asia, west-left, west-public
Confirmed: 20 · Reported: 16 · Disputed: 4 · Confidence: high
Review: 3 AI reviewers (Claude, GPT-5.6 Sol, Kimi) · 34/34 claims backed by 2+ reviewers with verified evidence · 0 errors · approved
Drafted: 2026-09-29 18:39 UTC

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.