The Spanish Government has approved a new package of housing measures following the national debate surrounding the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal in Madrid.

The Council of Ministers approved two Royal Decree-Laws on September 29 containing measures covering evictions, rental contracts, seasonal and room rentals, and purchases of residential properties by entities considered to be operating speculatively.

The Government has requested an extraordinary session of Congress on Friday, October 2, to seek parliamentary approval for the measures. Until that process is completed, the announcement should not be treated as a permanently enacted package.

Protection Against Evictions Extended to 2030

One of the principal measures announced is an extension of protections against evictions for vulnerable households until 2030.

The measure concerns specific situations of vulnerability and is not a blanket ban on every eviction. Existing legislation already provides a mechanism for courts to suspend certain eviction proceedings when the required conditions are met.

The new package would extend that protection beyond the current deadline. The exact application will depend on the conditions established in the final legal text.

This is particularly relevant in the context of the Maricarmen case, which has become a national focus of the debate over housing security and the protection of vulnerable tenants.

Restrictions on Speculative Property Purchases

The package also includes measures aimed at restricting the purchase of residential property by entities described by the Government and its political partners as “fondos buitre”.

The terminology requires some care. “Vulture fund” is not itself a specific legal category, and the classification is expected to depend on the characteristics of the acquisition rather than simply the legal form of the buyer.

The information released about the agreement indicates that the restrictions would cover purchases below market value and large-scale acquisitions carried out with the purpose of obtaining immediate speculative profits. The reported measure would apply until 2028.

The final scope will depend on the wording of the approved decree and its subsequent parliamentary processing.

Two-Year Extension for Some Existing Rental Contracts

Another measure would provide an extraordinary two-year extension for rental contracts that are currently in force and are due to expire before December 31, 2028.

The reported package also includes automatic renewal provisions for rental agreements, with these measures divided between the two decrees approved by the Council of Ministers.

The measures are intended to provide additional continuity for tenants whose contracts are approaching their scheduled expiry dates.

New Rules for Seasonal and Room Rentals

The first decree also includes measures concerning seasonal rentals and rentals by room.

The regulation is part of the Government's response to concerns about the use of temporary rental arrangements in the housing market.

The Government and its coalition partner Sumar had been negotiating the precise scope of these provisions in the days before the Council of Ministers meeting. The final parliamentary process will determine whether the package remains in the form announced on September 29.

The Connection With the Maricarmen Case

The measures were approved amid intense public debate following the eviction of Maricarmen Abascal from the Madrid home where she had lived since 1956.

She was evicted on September 23 after a long-running legal dispute over her tenancy. The case generated demonstrations and renewed calls for stronger protections for vulnerable tenants. EFE Verifica has reported that the legal dispute involved the continuation of an old rental contract and that the Supreme Court ultimately upheld the interpretation relied upon by the property owner.

The case subsequently became a reference point in the political and social debate over housing policy, although the new measures would apply according to their own legal conditions rather than automatically changing the outcome of individual cases.

Following the eviction, the property owner, Urbagestión, later reached an agreement with Maricarmen's representatives that could allow her to return to the property under a new rental arrangement, subject to her approval.

What This Means for Ibiza

The measures are national rather than specific to Ibiza or the Balearic Islands.

If approved by Congress, their practical effects could extend to tenants, landlords and property investors across Spain, including Ibiza.

The island has experienced significant pressure in its housing market, particularly around the availability and affordability of long-term accommodation. However, the measures announced by the Government should not be described as an Ibiza-specific housing intervention.

For Ibiza residents, the most directly relevant elements are the potential extension of protections for vulnerable households, changes affecting existing rental contracts and the proposed regulation of different forms of temporary accommodation.

What Happens Next?

The Council of Ministers has approved the two decrees, but the Government now needs Congress to consider them.

An extraordinary plenary session has been requested for Friday, October 2, for their convalidation. The parliamentary vote is therefore an important next step before the measures can be treated as definitively approved through that procedure.

The final legal wording will also be important, particularly for determining exactly which tenants qualify for extended eviction protection, which rental contracts qualify for extensions and which property purchases fall within the restrictions aimed at speculative buyers.

Ibiza One Stop Accuracy Note

The Council of Ministers approved the housing measures on September 29, 2026. They should currently be described as approved by the Government and awaiting parliamentary convalidation, rather than simply as fully enacted permanent measures.

The extension of eviction protection is reported to run until 2030, while restrictions on certain speculative residential-property purchases are reported to apply until 2028. These measures do not constitute a blanket prohibition on all evictions or all property purchases by investment companies.

The term “vulture fund” is also not, by itself, a defined legal category. The reported restrictions are based on the characteristics and purpose of property acquisitions, with the final scope dependent on the legal text.