25,000 Protest in Madrid After 87-Year-Old Tenant Faces 230% Rent Hike Eviction
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 27
25,000 Protest in Madrid After 87-Year-Old Tenant Faces 230% Rent Hike Eviction
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 27
Summary
25,000 people marched in Madrid on Saturday, rattling keys and demanding curbs on housing costs and tougher protections against evictions after Maricarmen Abascal’s removal became a national flashpoint.
Abascal, 87 and disabled, was taken from the home she had lived in for seven decades after an investment fund sought a 230% rent increase she said she could not afford.
The case resonated because Spain’s rents have risen 80% in a decade and home prices 63%, while about 25,000 evictions still occur each year.
Pressure is now falling on politicians: Pedro Sánchez promised new measures, Sumar wants expropriation of Abascal’s former home and rent freezes, and unions and the UN housing rapporteur urged tougher action against investor-driven evictions.
The uproar has also exposed structural gaps in Spain’s housing system, where social housing is just 2.5% of stock and more than 3 million homes are believed to sit empty.
Will a heartbreaking eviction of an 87-year-old finally force Spain to ban corporate vulture funds from its housing market?
How did a single Madrid apartment become ground zero for a multi-billion dollar war between global investors and desperate renters?
Spain’s Housing Crisis in 2026: The Eviction That Sparked a National Uprising and the Battle Over Rent Control
Overview
The eviction of 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal from her Madrid home, after her rent was raised by 275 percent by a real estate firm exploiting legal loopholes, triggered a national outcry. Police forcibly removed her, leading to her hospitalization and sparking massive protests across Spain. Abascal’s video message from her hospital bed inspired thousands to demand urgent housing reforms. The government responded with the proposed 'Maricarmen decree' to limit evictions, but its passage remains uncertain due to a deadlocked parliament and regional resistance. This crisis highlights Spain’s severe housing shortage, rising rents, and the growing influence of institutional investors and speculative practices.