Overview
- A coordinated campaign led by the Sindicato de Inquilinas and backed by unions UGT and CCOO has launched demonstrations in dozens of cities under the slogan 'La vivienda nos cuesta la vida'.
- Union leaders say they want urgent measures including limits on rents so housing costs do not exceed 30% of household income, stronger tenant protections, and reform of the mortgage market to reduce household overburden.
- The protests follow the Congress's recent rejection of a royal decree that would have allowed up to two extra years of lease extensions and capped annual rent updates at 2%, and activists won a separate government pledge to redirect some Social Security properties to public housing via Casa 47.
- Market evidence is sharpening demands: Idealista reported Madrid rents at €23.3 per square metre in April 2026, an 8.6% year-on-year rise and new highs in many districts, while youth-emancipation rates remain very low.
- Organizers published a calendar of actions running through June 28 with major union participation, a sustained pressure campaign that could increase political stakes for the government and push debate toward concrete regulatory or fiscal steps.