On Saturday, roughly 50 marches erupted across Spain, from Madrid to Valencia, as a wave of frustration turned into a national chorus demanding stricter tenant protections and a halt to what protesters call “rentism”.
Unprecedented Numbers – Estimates range from 70,000 official figures to 500,000 claimed by Madrid’s Tenants’ Union, highlighting the scale of discontent. Protesters in Madrid held banners reading “There won’t be peace for rentism” and “I study to have a future, not to have a tiny apartment”, while charging the city’s main square, Puerta del Sol, with tents that have stood for days.
The drama began last month when an 87‑year‑old woman in Valencia was evicted after a steep rent increase, sparking nationwide outrage and prompting the government to propose a two‑decree emergency package. The first decree sought to suspend evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030 and restrict “vulture funds”, while the second aimed to automatically renew rental contracts.
Both measures were rejected in Parliament – the first by 178 votes to 172 and the second by 184 to 166 – as the coalition’s reliance on minor nationalist parties and opposition from the People’s Party and Vox left the bill stranded. The failure perhaps nudges Prime Minister Sánchez toward a premature election still scheduled for next summer.
The conflict spilled onto the streets: in Valencia policemen fired rubber bullets after protesters removed barriers and threw objects near a real‑estate summit, injuring nine officers and arresting five. In Madrid, a far‑right group attempting to infiltrate the protest was detained for Nazi salutes.
“We are not here for pleasure or comfort. We’re here out of conviction,” said David, a month‑long participant in the Puerta del Sol encampment. “We’ll protest until rent is regulated or we’ll have to leave Madrid.”
With the Bank of Spain estimating a shortage of 700,000 homes and rents rising by 8.5% last year, the spike in living costs has left many Spaniards calling for an urgent, inclusive solution. A nationwide strike over housing is now on the table, as activists push for a new legislative agenda that addresses both the housing bubble and the widening wealth gap.
