Overview
- The Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs notified 541 firms that manage 50 or more homes to accept tenant requests to extend expiring leases under Real Decreto-ley 8/2026.
- The rule lets tenants keep the same contract terms for one year, with a second year available on request, and it limits annual rent increases to 2% through 2027.
- The measure is in force under Spain’s decree-law system but will lapse if Congress refuses to validate it next week, with the PP, Vox and Junts signaling they will vote against it.
- Tenant unions say they have sent more than 50,000 emails to PP and Junts deputies and are organizing demonstrations to press lawmakers to keep the protections.
- The ministry says the extension could affect more than 2.5 million people and warns many would otherwise face sudden rent hikes of up to 50% when current contracts end.