Wohnungsnot: Spaniens Übergangsparlament billigt Wohnungsdekret vor Neuwahl

The Spanish transitional parliament has passed measures to curb evictions and real estate speculation. The lawmakers convened on Thursday for the vote after a day earlier, thousands of people across the country had protested high living costs with a general strike and large demonstrations. The duration for which the adopted regulations will be in force will depend on the outcome of the parliamentary election on November 29.

The conservative People's Party (PP), which is the strongest opposition party, has announced it would revoke the measures of the left-leaning government if they come to power. Surveys suggest this is possible. The government had already tried to implement the measures in October. The trigger was outrage over sharply rising rents and the eviction of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, which was broadcast on television.

The woman died shortly afterwards in the hospital. The PP and other conservative parties blocked the measures in parliament. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez then called for early elections. A second decree, as expected, was rejected. The government waited and then brought the plan back to the transitional parliament, which, along with the allied progressive parties, has a somewhat favorable distribution of seats.

The transitional parliament consists of 69 deputies, compared to 350 in the lower house that was dissolved with the proclamation of the elections. The government also divided the measures into two decrees. The one with low chances of success was placed in a separate second decree to prevent the rest of the package from being jeopardized.

The first decree, which contains most of the measures, was adopted on Thursday with 35 votes to 34. The second decree was, as expected, once again rejected. The adopted decree includes a regulation that extends protection against eviction for tenants. This applies to those whose financial or social situation is assessed by social services as precarious, and as long as they are offered no alternative housing by authorities.

This regulation will be in effect until 2030. The aim is also to prevent property speculation. Companies are to be prevented from acquiring real estate for less than 70 percent of its value. This is intended to prevent large-scale buying of real estate at low prices and subsequently reselling it at higher prices. The decree also bans rent increases if the rent is already above the reference value set for the district.

For apartments rented out temporarily to tourists, a 10 percent tax is introduced. The second decree, which was also rejected, provided for automatic renewability of lease contracts. Property owners who wanted to end the contracts would have had to compensate tenants with an amount equal to one year's rent. Many lawmakers feared such a scenario would lead to a decline in supply and even higher prices.