Thousands protest in Spain over housing crisis after parliament rejects rent laws

Tens of thousands of people marched across Spain on Saturday to demand stronger protections for tenants. About 50 separate marches took place in cities like Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona.

What Happened

The protests erupted after the Spanish parliament failed to pass emergency housing legislation on Friday. Pedro Sánchez's leftist minority government proposed two decrees to address the housing crunch. The first decree included stopping evictions for vulnerable tenants until 2030, extending rental leases due to expire before 2028, raising taxes on tourist apartments, and restricting property purchases by investment funds. The second decree featured the automatic renewal of rental contracts. However, MPs rejected the first decree by 178 votes to 172 and voted down the second by 184 to 166. The conservative People's Party, far-right Vox, and the centre-right Together for Catalonia party opposed the measures, leading to their defeat in Congress and fueling speculation that Sánchez might call an early general election.

Reactions and Clashes

The legislative defeat angered citizens and housing advocates. A spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants' Union stated there is a lot of anger in the streets. Clashes broke out between protesters and police near a real estate summit in Valencia, leaving nine police officers injured and five people arrested after demonstrators threw objects and removed barriers. In Madrid, crowd size estimates ranged from 70,000 by officials to 500,000 by the city's Tenants' Union. Protesters held banners, shook keys, and chanted slogans while some camped out in the Puerta del Sol square. A 26-year-old librarian named Marcos Sainz told reporters he used to pay 900 euros a month for a two-bedroom flat with friends, while a one-bedroom flat now often costs 1,000 euros. The Madrid Tenants' Union called the government's measures insufficient and demanded a general strike over the housing crisis.

Context

The public anger was originally triggered last month by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman named Maricarmen Abascal after she could not afford a sharp rent increase. According to the Bank of Spain, the country faces a shortage of 700,000 homes. National statistics institute INE reported that house prices rose by 12.2% in the past year, while real estate firm Idealista noted rental costs jumped by 8.5% in 2025, with Madrid and Barcelona remaining the most expensive cities to rent.