Spain's 2026 housing decrees: what they proposed and what happens now that Congress has struck them down

What RDL 26/2026 proposed

The first decree was a broad package. These are the measures that mattered most to a private investor:

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  Extraordinary extension of up to 2 years

  Tenants with leases running until 31 December 2028 could request up to two more years, in yearly periods and on the same terms, if they had been up to date with rent for the previous eight months.

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  Seasonal rentals with a stated reason, 31 days to 12 months

  The owner had to justify the reason for the tenant's temporary stay, and the general duration was set between 31 days and 12 months.

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  Cap on room rentals

  The combined rent of all rooms could not exceed the rent for the whole property.

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  Tax: VAT, IBI and IRPF

  10% VAT for furnished flats with hotel-type services or stays of up to 30 nights, IBI surcharges for tourist and empty homes, and a graduated IRPF reduction of up to 100% if you cut the rent by more than 5% on a new lease.

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  Evictions of vulnerable households

  Evictions of vulnerable people without alternative housing suspended until 31 December 2030, with exceptions if the owner was vulnerable and held two homes or fewer.

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  Purchases by companies and funds

  Until the end of 2028, entities whose business is acquiring property could only buy homes below 70% of their appraised value, with exceptions.

Laws that change in 72 hours: keep your leases under control

When the rules move this fast, what protects you is knowing exactly which lease ends when, with every notice on file. imotrack keeps it ready:

• check All your leases with start date, end date and extensions in a single view.
• check Reminders before each expiry and each notice deadline.
• check Formal notices, addenda and leases stored with each tenant, ready for your lawyer or gestor.

The grey area: requests made while they were in force

During those hours some tenants sent formal notices (burofax) to claim the extraordinary extension, and some eviction suspensions were requested. Some lawyers argue that what was requested while the decree was in force has effect; others disagree. RDL 27/2026 also amended the extension regime of RDL 26/2026, which adds uncertainty.

What to watch in the coming weeks

The Government may bring back similar measures, by decree or as a bill, as it did after April's rejection. We will update this guide as soon as a new text is published in the BOE.