Spanish landlords decry new tenant-friendly proposals ahead of snap election

Spain’s housing debate has intensified as landlords argue they are being painted as vulture funds amid mounting tenant-rights reforms. Fernánndez, a 65-year-old retiree in Cercedilla, spent nearly two years securing an eviction date after a tenant halted €710 monthly payments, forcing her to move in with her daughter. Younger landlord Javier Medina, who earns about €10,000 a month from eleven rentals, says indefinite contracts would end his business and has paused expansion plans.

Demonstrations in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol have featured slogans like “Landlords are thieves,” while the Socialist government’s proposal to ban evictions of vulnerable tenants through 2030 and to create permanent leases was voted down, leading Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to call a snap election on November 29. The failed bill follows a 2023 law that gave regions tools to curb rents, but resistance remains in areas governed by the Popular Party. Real-estate groups warn the uncertainty could cut rental transactions by up to 30%, tightening supply and pushing rents higher.