Thousands of people marched through Madrid on Sunday to protest soaring rents, high home prices and a deepening housing shortage. Organizers said more than 100,000 people took part, while authorities estimated about 23,000.
The rally was organized by the Madrid Tenants’ Union and backed by Spain’s two main trade unions. Protest leaders said recent government steps to address the crisis are too slow. “Some housing measures are moving in the right direction, but they are advancing at a snail’s pace while the housing crisis escalates rapidly,” said Unai Sordo, secretary general of the CCOO union.
Spain’s central bank estimates that between 2021 and 2025 new households grew faster than new homes, leaving a shortfall of roughly 700,000 dwellings. Fernando de los Santos, a spokesman for the tenants’ union, warned that many residents are being pushed into overcrowded conditions, sharing rooms or living with other families.
Eurostat data show housing costs rose nearly 13% year‑on‑year in 2025, adding pressure on renters and buyers. In response, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government last month approved a 7 billion euro plan to build more public housing over the next four years and to provide assistance for young renters and first‑time buyers. A separate proposal to freeze rent increases, however, failed to pass in the legislature.
Another central demand at the demonstration was tougher regulation of tourist and holiday rentals. Protesters say the rapid growth of short‑term lets in city centers has outpaced hotel expansion and pushed up rents and property prices, reducing housing available for long‑term residents. Authorities have begun tightening rules and issuing fines to platforms and hosts as pressure mounts to protect local housing stock.
Demonstrators called for faster implementation of public housing projects, stronger tenant protections and stricter controls on holiday rentals, saying more urgent and comprehensive measures are needed to avert further displacement and overcrowding.