An 87-year-old tenant facing eviction in Madrid has reached a provisional agreement allowing her to return to her apartment under an eight-year lease, following intense nationwide protests over soaring rental costs across Spain.
The case of Maricarmen Abascal drew widespread public outrage after she was removed from her home of 70 years on a stretcher on Wednesday. According to the tenants’ union, an investor had raised her monthly rent by 275 percent to 2,650 euros. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, stated on Monday that an accord had been secured to reinstate her housing, pending formal signature. Duro noted that the resolution would provide a better and more welcome outcome for all parties involved.
Rental Cap Structured Around Income
Under the terms of the pending agreement reported by the Spanish daily newspaper El Mundo, Abascal’s new rent will be capped at 30 percent of her gross income. The arrangement is slated to run for a duration of eight years, securing long-term stability for the tenant following days of severe uncertainty.
The eviction galvanized housing rights advocates and citizens across Spain, igniting large-scale demonstrations over housing affordability. On Monday, approximately 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Barcelona during a visit by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to demand immediate government intervention. Carme Arcarazo, a spokesperson for the Catalan tenants’ association, rejected minor concessions during the rally, stating that participants wanted adequate housing rather than temporary fixes.
Legislative Push and Ongoing Street Protests
Protesters in Barcelona called for an immediate halt to rent increases, a ban on short-term rental contracts, and strong protections against forced evictions. These demands coincided with a planned legislative package prepared by Sánchez’s cabinet. While Sánchez stated that the government was working intensively on the measures, the administration lacks a parliamentary majority, and a similar proposal previously stalled in the legislature. Representatives from the tenants’ union confirmed that legislative work would continue regardless of Abascal’s individual settlement.
In Madrid, demonstrators maintained a protest camp at the central Puerta del Sol square ahead of the announcement. Tens of thousands of people had marched through the Spanish capital on Saturday to protest housing shortages and exorbitant rents before erecting tents on the plaza. Beatriz Blanco, a demonstrator at the camp, described the rental market as completely out of control and unsustainable prior to the agreement’s announcement.
Broader Housing Crisis Across Spain
Soaring rental prices and severe housing shortages have emerged as the primary concern for citizens in Spain, according to recent polling. Data from the property portal Idealista indicates that average rental rates nationwide have nearly doubled over the past decade. The Bank of Spain estimates a deficit of more than 700,000 housing units across the country.
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