Spain’s Congress has rejected both emergency housing decrees proposed by the government, after Junts joined the Popular Party and Vox in opposing the measures
The measures included protections against certain evictions, limits on rent increases and changes to rental contracts, while the vote took place as protesters marched towards Parliament demanding stronger tenant protections
The defeat comes amid a broader housing crisis that intensified after the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, whose case became a focal point for demonstrations in Madrid and other Spanish cities
Spanish lawmakers rejected the government’s new housing measure during an extraordinary sitting of Congress on Friday, according to the Spanish parliament. The vote came as demonstrators gathered outside the legislature to demand stronger protections for tenants and action on housing costs.
The government had taken two emergency housing decrees to Congress. One, Real Decreto-ley 26/2026, was approved by the government on September 29 and entered into force on October 1. It was presented as a package to protect the social function of housing and expand the supply of affordable homes.
The Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez defending that decree before the extraordinary plenary, while Social Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy presented a second measure, dealing with the stability of habitual rental contracts.
What It Included
The decree contained several measures affecting tenants and landlords. It allowed eligible tenants to seek an extraordinary extension of existing housing contracts for up to two additional years where the contract was due to expire before the end of 2028, subject to conditions including being up to date with rent payments.
It also introduced new protections against certain evictions involving people without alternative accommodation, including a suspension of proceedings involving homes owned by investment funds until the end of 2030.
It sought to regulate seasonal and room rentals by requiring a genuine and documented temporary reason. Contracts without such a justification could be treated as habitual residential leases. The measure also stated that the combined rents charged for individual rooms could not exceed the rent that could be charged for the property as a whole.
The government also imposed an extraordinary limit on rent increases, with increases capped at up to 2% under specified conditions until the end of 2027.
The second decree, published on Thursday and entering into force on Friday, sought to strengthen the stability of habitual rental contracts. It provided for successive five-year extensions after the existing minimum period, or seven years where the landlord is a legal entity, subject to the conditions set out in the law. It also established compensation for tenants where a landlord validly chooses not to renew a contract, with exemptions for specified circumstances.
Protests Grow
The parliamentary vote followed renewed public mobilisation over Spain’s housing crisis. Protests around the Congress as lawmakers considered the government’s measures.
The issue has intensified in recent weeks after a high-profile eviction in Madrid. Thousands of people marched in the capital over rents, evictions and the shortage of affordable housing, with protesters calling for stronger tenant protections.
The underlying supply problem remains significant. Spain added about 225,000 households in 2025 but completed only about 92,000 new homes, according to the Banco de España.
The rejection leaves the government facing a parliamentary setback on measures it had presented as an urgent response to housing pressures, while protests continue to focus attention on affordability, rental security and access to housing.
