Tens of thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Madrid and more than 50 other Spanish cities on Saturday, October 3, demanding sweeping reforms to housing laws and threatening a general strike amid a deepening national affordability crisis. The demonstrations followed the collapse of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s emergency housing decrees in the Spanish Congress, exposing the fragile parliamentary alliances sustaining Spain’s progressive government.
The weekend demonstrations drew sharp contrasts in turnout estimates. The Tenants’ Union Confederation, which organized the mobilization under the banner “Hacia la huelga general” (“Toward the general strike”), reported an attendance of 500,000 participants in the capital. Meanwhile, government authorities placed the crowd size at 70,000 people. Marchers converged on central plazas in Madrid following a week of preliminary protests, including a downtown campement maintained by activists near the Puerta del Sol.
Eviction of an 87-Year-Old Sparks Nationwide Outrage
Public anger crystallized in late September following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal, an 87-year-old resident of Madrid, from the apartment she had occupied for seven decades. A real estate firm acquired the building and attempted to raise her monthly rent by 275 percent, jumping from 500 euros to 2,650 euros. Her subsequent removal transformed her case into a focal point for housing advocates across Spain.
“What is breathing in the streets is a new energy, an energy we haven’t seen in a long time, an energy that demonstrates that eight days of popular power are capable of doing much more than eight years of progressive government,” said Valeria Racu, a spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union, in a press statement released Saturday.
Protesters in the capital voiced stark warnings about living conditions in the city. Adhara Freile, a 41-year-old gardener living in the outlying district of Villaverde, expressed fear that she and her partner would soon face displacement when their lease expires. “Politicians are at the orders of money, of vulture funds, and far away from the people,” she stated during the march.
Parliamentary Defeat Undermines the Sánchez Administration
The protests arrived one day after the Spanish Congress rejected emergency housing measures proposed by Prime Minister Sánchez’s cabinet. The proposed decrees would have extended protections against evictions for vulnerable households until 2030, placed caps on short-term rentals, restricted residential acquisitions by investment funds, and extended existing lease agreements.
The legislative defeat stemmed partly from opposition by the seven Catalan independence deputies of Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia). Their vote against the measures laid bare the delicate arithmetic of the heterogeneous coalition supporting Sánchez since his 2023 reelection.
In response to the legislative gridlock and mounting public pressure, local media reports indicate that the executive branch is weighing the possibility of calling early general elections. Labor groups and demonstrators, however, continue to press for aggressive legislative intervention rather than political maneuvers.
Escalating Rental Costs Drive the Crisis
Official data shows the severe market pressures fueling the unrest. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), residential property prices rose by 12.2 percent year-over-year during the second quarter of 2026, with older properties seeing a 12.9 percent increase. Across the rental market, the average price per square meter has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching 15.10 euros per square meter in August, up from 10.50 euros in 2021 according to the real estate portal Idealista. In Madrid and Barcelona, average rates hover near 23 euros and 20 euros per square meter, respectively.
Additional strain comes from demographic shifts. Data from the Bank of Spain indicates that household growth has outpaced new construction since 2021, generating a persistent housing deficit.
Demonstrators continue to demand comprehensive government action, including a mandatory 50 percent rent reduction, indefinite lease terms, a permanent ban on evictions without alternative housing, and the expropriation of residential properties held by institutional investment funds.
Frequently Asked Questions About Spain’s Housing Crisis
What triggered the nationwide demonstrations in Spain? The protests erupted following the late-September eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid apartment after a real estate firm attempted to raise her rent by 275 percent.
What specific measures were rejected by the Spanish Congress? Lawmakers voted down government decrees that aimed to extend vulnerable household eviction protections until 2030, regulate short-term rentals, restrict property purchases by investment funds, and prolong specific rental contracts.
How much have rental prices increased across Spain? According to the National Statistics Institute and portal data, average rental prices per square meter have nearly doubled over a ten-year period, reaching 15.10 euros in August, with rates in Madrid and Barcelona averaging between 20 and 23 euros per square meter.
What are the main demands of the Tenants’ Union Confederation? Protesters are demanding a 50 percent reduction in rent, indefinite lease agreements, an end to unassisted evictions, and the expropriation of housing units owned by investment funds.
Could the political crisis lead to new elections? According to local media reports, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s executive branch is evaluating the possibility of calling early elections following the collapse of its parliamentary majority on housing legislation.
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