Spain will extend tenant protection from eviction until 2030
The Spanish government has approved a new package of measures for the housing market, which provides for the extension of eviction protection until 2030 and the possibility of extending some existing rental contracts for another two years. The new rules are primarily aimed at protecting vulnerable tenants and do not mean a general ban on all evictions.
On September 29, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved two decrees with new housing measures, according to El País and Cadena SER.
The first document extends special eviction protection until 2030, and also provides for a mandatory extraordinary extension of up to two years for existing rental contracts that expire by December 31, 2028.
At the same time, these rules do not mean that eviction of a tenant will be impossible in Spain until 2030 at all. The protective mechanism primarily concerns people who meet the criteria of economic or social vulnerability.
How eviction protection works
Until now, Spain had a mechanism that allowed suspending the eviction of economically and socially vulnerable households from their primary residence if people had no other place to live and could not pay rent due to circumstances.
In February 2026, the government extended this mechanism only until December 31, 2026. The then rules also provided exceptions, particularly for owners of one or two residential properties: in such cases, social services were to find an emergency alternative for the vulnerable tenant.
The new package significantly increases the time horizon of such protection - until 2030. At the same time, the final legal conditions for the application of the new mechanism are to be defined by the text of the decree after its parliamentary approval and publication.
Rental contracts will be allowed to be extended for two more years
A separate change concerns people whose current rental contract is ending. The first of the two decrees provides for an extraordinary extension of contracts for a maximum of two years, if they are in force at the time the document takes effect and end by the end of 2028.
According to the preliminary reform parameters, the tenant will be able to remain in the housing under the previous conditions for an additional period, although the law will provide exceptions for certain situations.
The second decree goes even further and provides for a mechanism for automatic renewal of rental contracts. However, this particular document has weaker parliamentary support, so its final adoption is still less certain.
What else changes in the housing market
The first package also includes regulation of short-term rentals and renting individual rooms, as well as a temporary ban until 2028 on the purchase of housing by so-called "vulture funds" – investment structures that buy up distressed or cheap assets for subsequent resale or rental.
Measures to support young home buyers and tax incentives for some landlords and tenants are also provided.
Both decrees still have to be validated in the Congress of Deputies. The government has asked for an extraordinary session for this as early as Friday. Until parliamentary approval and official publication, the new rules should not be considered finally in force.
For Ukrainians renting housing in Spain, the changes may be important primarily in cases of termination of the rental contract or a difficult financial situation. At the same time, the right to eviction protection will depend not on citizenship, but on fulfilling the criteria established by law.
Based on materials from: El País, Cadena SER
