Tenants left in limbo after Congress overturns housing protection decree

After a brief three-day window, Spain's Congress voted to discard the ‘Maricarmen’ decree, which aimed to prolong rental contracts until 2028 and ban evictions of vulnerable households through 2030. The decision, supported by a last-minute alliance of Junts with PP and Vox, removed the legal shield that many tenants had hoped would give them breathing space. Affected renters, such as Félix’s family in Erandio, whose lease ended as the decree was approved, and 78-year-old Juanita in Barcelona, whose eviction was postponed pending the vote, voiced frustration and fear of losing their homes.

Housing NGOs warned that the rollback could trigger tens of thousands of evictions amid already high homelessness levels. Recent court rulings have already seen some evictions carried out while others were delayed, highlighting the uncertainty facing millions of tenants whose contracts expire before 2029.