Empty homes: Facua wants big landlords' use rights seized

Madrid, Spain: Facua wants the use rights to empty homes owned by big landlords seized so the properties can be let at regulated prices. The Spanish consumer group sets out its demands on 28 September 2026, saying the housing measures the PSOE plans to approve at Tuesday’s meeting of Spain’s Council of Ministers do not go far enough.

Leases without an end date

Facua wants Spain to change its tenancy law so contracts for people’s main homes have no fixed end date. They are currently limited to five or seven years, depending on whether the landlord is a person or a company.

The group says tenants need more stability. It argues that open-ended contracts would not weaken landlords’ legal protection against unpaid rent. Landlords could still reclaim a home if they or certain relatives needed to live in it.

Rent freezes and penalties

Facua also wants rents frozen in response to inflation. It says rent updates should no longer be tied to the consumer price index and new contracts should not include increases. It separately calls for a ban on rises above that index when a tenant changes or a new contract is signed.

The group wants tax penalties for empty homes, fines for landlords who fail to meet their obligations and compensation payments from those who engage in abusive practices. It also wants tenants legally recognised as consumers, allowing Spain’s regional consumer authorities to treat landlord abuses as consumer-law offences and impose penalties.

Topics: Housing · Politics · Economy

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com