Tens of thousands of people flooded the streets of Spain on Saturday, October 3, 2026, in one of the largest housing protests in the country's recent history. Around 50 demonstrations were held nationwide demanding lower rents, stronger tenant protections and an end to evictions — a day after parliament rejected the government's emergency housing measures. In Madrid, the government put turnout at 70,000; the Tenants' Union claimed 500,000.
An 87-year-old's eviction lit the fuse
The movement was ignited by the eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal, thrown out of the Madrid home she had lived in for seven decades after a sharp rent increase. The case provoked nationwide outrage; the property company later agreed to let her return at a lower rent. For a week, protesters have camped in Puerta del Sol, and the camps have spread to other cities.
Parliament says no — twice
On Friday, Spain's Congress rejected two government-backed housing decrees — 178-172 and 184-166 — that would have suspended evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, extended rental leases, taxed tourist apartments and restricted residential purchases by investment "vulture funds." Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's minority coalition could not muster a majority. The defeat has fuelled speculation Sánchez may call a snap election for November, though elections aren't due until next summer.
"No peace for rentism"
Four columns of demonstrators converged on Madrid's Cibeles Square chanting "We have the keys of all the city" and carrying banners reading "There won't be peace for rentism." The human cost was on every placard: Marcos Sainz, a 26-year-old librarian, told AFP he once split a €900 two-bedroom with friends — today a one-bedroom in Madrid often costs €1,000, half the median salary. Javier, 31, said he spends half his pay on "a tiny room."
Tenants' Union spokespeople Valeria Racu and Gonzalo Alvarez are now in talks with labour unions to call a general strike — "a general strike over housing that brings the country to a complete standstill," Alvarez told Cadena SER.
Clashes in Valencia and Madrid
Most of the 50 demonstrations were peaceful, but there were flashpoints. In Valencia, police fired rubber bullets and tear gas after protesters breached barriers outside a real estate investment forum; five people were arrested and about 30 briefly occupied the City of Arts and Sciences. In Madrid on Saturday night, police arrested three far-right activists — some performing Nazi salutes — who tried to reach the Puerta del Sol camp. Barcelona's march was postponed over heavy rain.
The takeaway: with parliament deadlocked, a general strike on the table and a possible snap election looming, Spain's housing crisis has gone from a social emergency to the issue that could bring down a government.
Watch: Spain Housing Crisis: Thousands March in Madrid Demanding Action on Housing Costs — APT
Sources
- Firstpost — Tens of thousands march in Spain for affordable housing
- The Kathmandu Post — Tens of thousands protest across Spain over housing crisis
- EuropeSays — 70,000 protest in Spain over housing crisis as organizers push for general strike
- The Times of India — 'No peace for rentism': Mass protests sweep Spain over housing crisis