Spain's Congress rejected two government decrees meant to curb evictions and cap rents on October 2, 2026, after Junts, the Popular Party and Vox voted against them. The defeat came as tenant unions kept thousands in the streets and in a tent camp at Madrid's Puerta del Sol, demanding stronger protection against rising rents and evictions.
Spain's Congress of Deputies voted down two emergency housing decrees on October 2, 2026. Lawmakers from the Catalan separatist party Junts, the conservative Popular Party (PP) and the far-right Vox opposed both measures, which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's government had pushed through as decree-laws requiring parliamentary ratification, according to Al Jazeera and Idealista.
The rejection came during a weekend of nationwide demonstrations. The Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas, a tenant union confederation, organized marches in more than 50 Spanish cities, Infobae reported. In Madrid, protest columns set out at noon on October 3 from Plaza de España, Atocha, the Hospital de La Princesa and Glorieta de Emilio Castelar, converging at Cibeles in front of the city hall, Infobae said.
What the rejected decrees would have done
The first decree, Real Decreto-ley 26/2026, would have capped annual rent increases on existing leases at 2% through the end of 2027, suspended evictions of vulnerable people without a housing alternative until the end of 2030, and barred certain entities from buying homes below 70% of their appraised value until 2028, according to Idealista. It also included a lower, 10% VAT rate for tourist rentals, tax incentives for tenants and landlords who reduced prices, and a property-tax surcharge of up to 150% on vacant homes and tourist flats in high-pressure markets.
The second decree, Real Decreto-ley 27/2026, would have made residential leases renew automatically unless the landlord compensated the tenant with 12 months of rent to end the contract, Idealista reported. Junts opposed both texts; the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV) backed the first but rejected the second, a split that helped seal the defeat of both measures, according to the same report.
Why Junts voted no
Junts spokeswoman Miriam Nogueras called the government's package "a badly drafted, badly written law that is not legally applicable," Infobae reported. Her party said it had delivered an alternative housing decree directly to the housing minister and set a precondition for negotiating it: withdrawal of the two decrees put to Friday's vote.
It depends on them to decide if they want to provide a solution to an emergency situation or want to continue feeding a narrative that is a lie, and want elections.
— Miriam Nogueras, Junts spokeswoman, quoted by Infobae
As of October 3, talks between Junts and the PSOE-led government over an alternative text had not resumed, according to Infobae.
What triggered the protests
The wave of demonstrations intensified after the September 23, 2026, eviction of 87-year-old María del Carmen Abascal, known as Maricarmen, from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for 70 years, Euronews and Al Jazeera reported. Her landlord had proposed raising her rent from about 500 euros to 2,650 euros a month, later reduced to 1,650 euros, according to Euronews; she was hospitalized after the eviction. The case prompted an ongoing tent encampment at Madrid's Puerta del Sol square, which Al Jazeera described as still active at the time of the parliamentary vote.
The numbers behind the anger
Spain's rental market has tightened sharply over the past decade. Average advertised rent reached 15.1 euros per square meter in August 2026, up 5.8% from a year earlier, Euronews reported. Housing purchase prices rose 12.2% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, Euronews reported. The Bank of Spain has repeatedly pointed to a housing supply deficit as a main driver of rising prices, particularly in economically dynamic areas, according to Euronews, which did not cite a specific national shortfall figure.
Spain's housing-cost indicators, 2026
Indicator
Figure
Source
Average advertised rent (Aug. 2026)
15.1 €/m², +5.8% year-on-year
Euronews
Housing price index (Q2 2026)
+12.2% year-on-year
Euronews
Renters spending >40% of income on housing (2024)
28.1% vs. EU average 19.2%
Euronews
What tenant unions are demanding
The Confederación de Sindicatos de Inquilinas has called for a 50% cut in rents, the seizure of properties held by what it calls "vulture funds," and indefinite rental contracts, Infobae reported. Infobae also described the weekend's marches as a step toward a possible general strike over housing.
What happens next
Following Friday's defeat, Prime Minister Sánchez opened a period of review to decide whether to call early elections, Infobae reported. Junts has said it is open to negotiating its own housing proposal with the PSOE but has made withdrawal of the rejected decrees a condition for talks to resume, according to Infobae. No new vote date or revised decree had been announced as of October 3, 2026.
Questions
Why did Spain's Congress reject the housing decrees?
Junts, the Popular Party and Vox voted against both decree-laws on October 2, 2026. Junts said the government's text was poorly drafted and demanded its own alternative proposal be negotiated instead, while the Basque Nationalist Party split its vote, backing one decree but not the other, which helped sink both.
What would the rejected decrees have changed?
One decree would have capped rent rises at 2% a year through 2027, suspended evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, and restricted bulk property purchases below market value. The other would have made rental contracts renew automatically unless landlords paid 12 months' rent to end them.
What sparked the protests?
Public anger grew sharply after the September 23, 2026, eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid, after 70 years in the same apartment; her landlord had sought to raise her rent from about 500 euros to 2,650 euros a month before it was later reduced to 1,650 euros, according to Euronews. The case led to an ongoing tent camp at Puerta del Sol and marches in more than 50 cities.
How bad is Spain's housing affordability problem?
Average rents and home prices have risen faster than wages for years; the Bank of Spain has repeatedly cited a housing supply shortage as a key driver of rising prices, and in 2024 more than a quarter of market-rate renters spent over 40% of their income on housing, well above the EU average, according to Euronews.
Could this lead to early elections in Spain?
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez opened a period of review on whether to call early elections after the decree defeat, Infobae reported. As of October 3, 2026, no official decision had been announced.
How the world is telling it
SpanishSpanish outlets such as Infobae and Idealista focus heavily on the parliamentary and party-political angle, detailing Junts' negotiating tactics with the PSOE government and the precise legal content of the two decrees, alongside logistical coverage of marches in dozens of cities.
This piece was prepared with artificial intelligence and passed an automated source check before publication. If you see an error, ask for a correction. Request a correction or reply · How we make this
Yemen's Houthi movement has renewed warnings to international airlines against operating in Saudi airspace, days after a ballistic missile strike on Riyadh's King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300, according to Al Jazeera. It was the third Houthi strike on the airport within a week, and the Saudi-led coalition called the attack a "war crime" and vowed a "decisive" response.
Delhi Police detained thousands of Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) protesters on October 10, 2026, after blocking their march to Jantar Mantar over a disputed revision of electoral rolls. The Supreme Court held a special Sunday hearing the next day and ordered authorities to end unlawful detentions, restore metro services and review barricades across the capital.
Aldi Süd, together with Hofer in Austria and Aldi Suisse in Switzerland, is recalling Ambiano ionic hair dryers because the power cable can be damaged through improper handling, creating a risk of electric shock and fire. The affected units were sold from mid-August 2025, with German sales running through November 17, 2025, according to recall notices. Customers are told to stop using the device and return it to any store of the chain for a full refund, no receipt required.
October 11, 2026 is International Day of the Girl Child, a UN observance now in its 15th year. This year's theme, "End child marriage and invest in girls' rights," framed events worldwide, including conferences and awareness activities held in Istanbul, Bursa and Antalya.
