The Consell Insular d’Eivissa has approved a proposal to encourage small property owners and private individuals to renovate their homes and make them available for affordable long-term rental to residents, as the island continues to face a serious housing shortage.
The measure was among four points of a motion presented by the PSOE that received approval during the Consell plenary session on Friday, 13 November 2026. It proposes financial assistance for property owners willing to renovate their properties in exchange for committing to rent them to Ibiza residents at affordable prices under long-term contracts.
The initiative aims to encourage the return of more homes to the residential rental market by helping smaller property owners improve their properties while offering residents access to more affordable housing.
However, the approval of the motion does not mean that applications can already be submitted. The available announcement does not specify the funding allocated, individual grant amounts, eligibility requirements or when a potential aid programme would open.
Proposed Aid for Property Renovation and Affordable Rentals
The most significant measure approved during the plenary session concerns financial assistance for small property owners and private individuals who are prepared to renovate their homes.
Under the proposal, owners would receive support for renovation work in exchange for committing to make the properties available for affordable rental to residents. The homes would need to be offered through long-term rental contracts rather than being returned to the market at unrestricted prices.
The approach seeks to address two issues at the same time: the condition of existing housing stock and the limited availability of homes that local residents can afford to rent.
By supporting smaller property owners, the proposal aims to encourage the renovation and residential use of properties that might otherwise remain unavailable to the long-term rental market.
The precise conditions attached to the proposed assistance, including how affordable rental prices would be calculated and how long owners would have to maintain the agreed rental conditions, have not yet been detailed.
Four Points of the PSOE Housing Motion Receive Approval
The renovation assistance proposal formed part of a wider motion presented by the Socialist group at the Consell.
Four points of the motion were approved during the plenary session. Alongside the proposed aid for property owners, the approved measures included support for the right of everyone to access decent housing at an affordable price and the promotion of a broader housing pact.
The motion also emphasised that the housing crisis should be treated as a shared social and political challenge rather than an issue belonging to one political party or ideological position.
The approval indicates some common ground between political groups on the need to improve access to housing, although significant disagreements remain over which measures should be used to address rising rental prices.
Disagreement Over Declaring Ibiza a Stressed Rental Market Area
One of the main points of disagreement during the plenary session was whether Ibiza should be declared a stressed residential market area, a designation that could allow measures to limit rental prices under Spain's housing legislation.
PSOE councillor Elena López argued that the island needs a stronger response to the housing emergency and called for a plan of action that includes this designation.
During the debate, López cited figures showing that the average rental price in Ibiza had risen from €1,183 in 2023 to €1,978 in 2025, representing an increase of approximately 67%.
The Consell's vice-president, Mariano Juan, rejected the proposal for further market intervention. Instead, he argued that the island needs to address the different types of housing demand competing for the same properties.
In particular, Juan referred to the pressure created by seasonal workers arriving during the summer, whose accommodation needs can overlap with those of permanent residents.
He also pointed to the island's population growth as an important factor behind the housing shortage, arguing that the housing stock has not expanded at the same rate as the resident population.
The disagreement between the main political groups over the stressed-market designation remains unresolved.
A Further Step in Ibiza's Housing Debate
The approval of the motion adds another proposal to the ongoing debate over how Ibiza can increase the availability of homes for permanent residents.
The island faces challenges involving limited residential supply, rising rental costs and competition for housing between different groups of people living and working in Ibiza.
The proposed renovation assistance offers one approach by seeking to encourage private owners to make their properties available for affordable long-term rental. Its eventual impact will depend on how the measure is developed, how much funding is made available and the conditions imposed on participating property owners.
For now, the plenary approval represents a political step towards the proposed initiative rather than the launch of a grant application process. Further details will be needed before property owners can establish whether they qualify and how the scheme would operate.
The debate also highlights the continuing differences between political groups over whether Ibiza's housing crisis should be addressed primarily through incentives to increase supply, greater market regulation or a combination of approaches.