Spain’s central government is again putting housing policy at the forefront of its agenda, at a moment when renting or purchasing a home has become increasingly out of reach, particularly for the younger generation.
With prices already surpassing those seen during the real estate bubble, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a new rent-to-buy support package worth €30,000 per eligible applicant.
‘We are going to create a new rent-to-buy aid of almost €30,000 so that young people can live in permanently protected housing for years and eventually buy it,’ Sánchez told members of the socialist (PSOE) party at a rally on Sunday. Housing Minister Isabel Rodríguez (main image) then outlined further details at a press briefing following a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
According to the Ministry of Housing, the plan will be incorporated into the next state housing strategy, which is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2029.
The initial outline suggests that only residents of subsidised rental properties (often referred to as ‘protected’ or ‘social housing’) will qualify for the €30,000 support, which would later be deducted from the eventual purchase price.
‘That is, the price paid as rental income represents the advance payment for the future purchase price. The aid given will be used to pay the rent, allowing the young person to save up to buy the property,’ said Isabel Rodríguez on Tuesday.
Because these homes are classed as permanently protected, the sale price will remain fixed and cannot be adjusted to reflect market rates. If the property is sold in the future, it must be at the set price and only to another buyer who also fulfils the required criteria.
‘In this way, we are protecting homes paid for with state resources from market speculation,’ the ministry added.
So far, little else has been disclosed about the measure. Experts anticipate it will come with significant restrictions and will likely reach only a small fraction of the population, as it applies solely to ‘social housing’ – a sector that remains far too limited to meet the country’s chronic demand. ALSO READ: Spain to spend €1.3 billion on ‘industrial construction of social housing’.
Despite a rise in construction, the supply is still modest: the Housing Ministry reported 14,371 social housing units completed in 2024, up from 8,847 in 2023, but overall stock barely reaches 3% of Spain’s total housing compared to around 9% across the EU. ALSO READ: Spanish government to limit short-term rentals and tourist flats to address housing crisis.
The policy marks a return to a model that had disappeared from national housing plans after 2013. Before then, state subsidies supported rent-to-buy arrangements, allowing tenants to discount rental payments from the sale price if they decided to purchase.
Several regions have also experimented with variations of the scheme in recent years, often through tax incentives. The Community of Madrid, for instance, is preparing to revive its version for social housing after scrapping it eight months ago, when falling free-market prices in some areas undercut those of protected housing. ALSO READ: Catalan government to offer loans for young people to cover down payments on first homes.
53,000 ‘irregular’ tourist apartments for long-term rental
While details of the government’s newly announced aid remain to be clarified, it is simultaneously preparing to accelerate other housing-related measures already on the table.
It has also announced that 53,000 tourist apartments will be reclassified as long-term rental housing, following the discovery of widespread irregularities in the national registry. ALSO READ: Barcelona wants to revoke all city’s 10,101 tourist apartment licences by Nov 2028.
Prime Minister Sánchez also revealed the measure on Sunday during a party event held in Málaga.
‘We have detected thousands of irregularities in many of these homes that are intended to become holiday and tourist rentals. And what we are going to do is remove 53,000 homes from this register so that they become permanent rentals for young people and families in our country,’ he said.
The Ministry of Housing has already instructed major tourist accommodation platforms, including Airbnb and Booking.com, to withdraw listings for the affected properties. ALSO READ: Spanish government makes Booking.com remove over 4,000 tourist rental ads.
In response, Airbnb released a statement on Sunday highlighting its willingness to adapt: ‘This is a new chapter for Airbnb in Spain, defined by a proactive commitment to collaboration, quality and a long-term vision of sustainable growth that benefits everyone.’ ALSO READ: Airbnb reaches agreement with Spanish government to remove irregular listings.
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Vamos a exigir a las plataformas la eliminación de 53.000 pisos turísticos por no cumplir con la normativa. Para que pasen a ser alquileres constantes para la gente joven y familias de este país.
Gobernar para la gente. Eso es lo que hacemos desde el @PSOE. pic.twitter.com/o0TgX85aLo
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) September 14, 2025
Vamos a facilitar la emancipación de los jóvenes al tiempo que blindamos la protección permanente de la vivienda. ¿Cómo lo haremos?👇
🔸Alquiler con opción a compra (hasta 30.000€)
🔸Compra en municipios de <10.000 habitantes (+10.800€)
🔸Aval joven para acceder al alquiler pic.twitter.com/sLVFrtVWCt— Isabel Rodríguez García (@isabelrguez) September 17, 2025
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