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Rents have been rising rapidly while Spain faces a shortage of homes. Spain country is short of around 700,000 homes based on the gap between demand and new construction.
Around 50 demonstrations were held on Saturday in cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia.
Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain over a housing crisis that pushed rents and home prices sharply higher, with protesters accusing the government of failing to protect tenants. Around 50 demonstrations were held on Saturday in cities including Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia, just a day after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s minority government suffered a major parliamentary defeat over emergency housing measures.
The protests brought together tenants, students, workers and housing activists demanding lower rents, stronger protection against evictions and restrictions on investment funds buying residential properties.
Why Are People Protesting In Spain?
At the heart of the protests is a simple problem: housing has become increasingly unaffordable. Rents have been rising rapidly while Spain faces a shortage of homes. According to the Bank of Spain, the country is short of around 700,000 homes based on the gap between demand and new construction.
Rental costs increased by 8.5% in 2025, according to property website Idealista. Madrid recorded an even sharper increase of 9.7%. The situation is particularly difficult in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain’s two most expensive rental markets. Idealista put average rents at €22.70 per square metre in Madrid and €23.80 in Barcelona.
Why Did An 87-Year-Old Woman Become A Symbol Of The Crisis?
Public anger intensified after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her home last month. Abascal was unable to afford a sharp increase in her rent and was evicted, triggering widespread outrage across Spain. Her case became a powerful symbol of what protesters said is an increasingly harsh housing market, where tenants can face losing their homes when they cannot keep up with rising rents. The backlash eventually led the company owning her flat, Urbagestión, to negotiate her return at a lower rent but the controversy had already turned into a nationwide housing movement.
What Did The Spanish Government Try To Do?
Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s left-wing coalition government attempted to respond with two emergency housing decrees. The proposals included suspending evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, extending certain rental contracts by two years, increasing taxes on tourist apartments and restricting the purchase of residential properties by investment funds.
Another proposal sought automatic renewal of rental contracts, a major demand of tenant groups. The government hoped the measures would help calm the protests. Instead, both were defeated in parliament.
Why Did Pedro Sánchez’s Government Lose The Vote?
Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party governs in coalition with the left-wing Sumar alliance but does not have a majority in parliament which means the government depends on smaller parties to pass legislation. The conservative People’s Party and far-right Vox opposed the housing measures. Centre-right pro-independence party Together for Catalonia also opposed them, leaving Sánchez without enough votes.
The first decree was defeated 178-172, while the second lost 184-166. The defeat has increased pressure on Sánchez and raised speculation about whether Spain could face an early general election, although the next election is not due until next summer.
Why Are Protesters Angry At ‘Vulture Funds’?
Another major issue is the role of investment funds in Spain’s housing market. Housing activists accuse large investors of buying residential properties as financial assets, contributing to higher prices and rents and making it harder for ordinary residents to find affordable homes.
The government itself has used the term “vulture funds” for some of these investment groups and had proposed restricting their ability to purchase residential property. For protesters, the issue is therefore not just about individual landlords or rent increases. It is also about who gets to own and profit from housing.
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Ask News18Tens of thousands of people took to the streets across Spain to protest a severe housing crisis that pushed rents and home prices sharply higher, with protesters demanding lower rents, stronger eviction protections, and restrictions on investment funds.
Ask News18Delhi, India, India
October 04, 2026, 07:48 IST
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