Spain Approves Housing Decrees: Eviction Ban to 2030, Rent Limits

The Spanish government approved two royal decree-laws on Tuesday to address the housing crisis, publishing the first in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on Wednesday. The measures extend a social shield suspending evictions for vulnerable tenants until December 31, 2030, and introduce a 2% cap on annual rent updates for certain contracts.

The first decree regulates seasonal and room-by-room rentals for the first time, requiring a proven temporary need and limiting seasonal contracts to a maximum of 12 months. Chaining more than two consecutive seasonal contracts for the same dwelling will automatically convert the lease into a standard habitual residence contract.

“The eviction of Mari Carmen is a "collective failure" that must be avoided in the future.”

A key provision in the second decree mandates that landlords who refuse to renew a standard five-year lease after its term must notify the tenant six months in advance and pay compensation equivalent to 12 months' rent of a comparable property, unless the owner needs the home for themselves or close family.

The decrees also restrict purchases by so-called "vulture funds" — entities whose corporate purpose includes property acquisition — banning them from buying homes below 70% of market appraisal value until 2028, with exemptions for social housing projects. The government has requested an extraordinary parliamentary session this Friday to validate both decrees immediately.

Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez called the package a transversal response to the housing emergency and urged parliamentary groups to act with "height of vision and generosity." The second decree text leaves the definition of "vulture fund" unspecified, noting that eviction suspensions for fund-owned properties could remain indefinite while the motivating causes persist.