Mark Stücklin
Other Spanish regions are closely monitoring Catalonia, where rent controls have been expanded to 131 additional municipalities, now covering over 90% of the population..
As of the 9th of October 2024 Catalonia has significantly expanded rent control measures, adding over 130 municipalities to the existing 140 where rent control was already in place.
This expansion means that rent control will now apply to over 270 municipalities, impacting over 7 million people, or 90% of Catalonia’s population.
Catalonia is the only region in Spain to implement rent controls under the framework of the 2023 Spanish Housing Law. Other regions are closely watching the outcomes before deciding whether to adopt similar measures themselves.
Since rent controls were introduced in 140 Catalan municipalities in March, the results have been mixed. In Barcelona, rental prices remained stable during the first quarter, though asking prices surged. However, the number of rental contracts signed plummeted by 23%, reaching the lowest level in over fifteen years—a clear indication of a rental housing shortage as explained here. Barcelona has also been at the forefront of the decline in the supply of long-term rental properties across Spain.
The only other region that has announced plans to introduce rent controls is the Basque Country, with a more gradual approach starting with just one municipality. Talking about the results so far in Catalonia, Denis Itxaso, the Basque Country’s Housing Minister, made the following comments in an interview with Radio Euskadi: “We have fortunately seen that prices have dropped due to the rent caps, but we’ve also seen that the number of contracts has decreased by 17%. These are issues we need to analyze carefully over time.”
Regions like Madrid and Andalusia that are governed by center-right parties have ruled them out, whilst even socialist-controlled Castilla-La Mancha says it will focus on increasing the housing supply rather than price control.
Here is the full list of Catalan municipalities where rent controls are now in force. The official source at the Generalitat’s website can be seen and checked for updates here.
First 140 municipalities where rent controls were imposed on 16/03/2024
- Abrera
- Alella
- Amposta
- Arenys de Mar
- Arenys de Munt
- Argentona
- Badalona
- Badia del Vallès
- Balaguer
- Banyoles
- Barberà del Vallès
- Barcelona
- Berga
- Bisbal d’Empordà, la
- Blanes
- Cabrera de Mar
- Cabrils
- Caldes de Montbui
- Caldes d’Estrac
- Calella
- Calldetenes
- Cambrils
- Canet de Mar
- Canonja, la
- Canovelles
- Cardedeu
- Castellar del Vallès
- Castellbisbal
- Castelldefels
- Cerdanyola del Vallès
- Cervelló
- Cervera
- Corbera de Llobregat
- Cornellà de Llobregat
- Cubelles
- Esparreguera
- Esplugues de Llobregat
- Falset
- Figueres
- Franqueses del Vallès, les
- Garriga, la
- Gavà
- Girona
- Granollers
- Guissona
- Hospitalet de Llobregat, l’
- Igualada
- Llagosta, la
- Lleida
- Llinars del Vallès
- Lloret de Mar
- Malgrat de Mar
- Manlleu
- Manresa
- Masnou, el
- Matadepera
- Mataró
- Molins de Rei
- Mollerussa
- Mollet del Vallès
- Montcada i Reixac
- Montgat
- Montmeló
- Montornès del Vallès
- Móra la Nova
- Olesa de Montserrat
- Olot
- Palafolls
- Palafrugell
- Palamós
- Palau-solità i Plegamans
- Papiol, el
- Parets del Vallès
- Pineda de Mar
- Polinyà
- Porqueres
- Prat de Llobregat, el
- Premià de Dalt
- Premià de Mar
- Puigcerdà
- Reus
- Ripoll
- Ripollet
- Roca del Vallès, la
- Roquetes
- Rubí
- Sabadell
- Salou
- Salt
- Sant Adrià de Besòs
- Sant Andreu de Llavaneres
- Sant Boi de Llobregat
- Sant Celoni
- Sant Climent de Llobregat
- Sant Cugat del Vallès
- Sant Esteve Sesrovires
- Sant Feliu de Guíxols
- Sant Feliu de Llobregat
- Sant Fost de Campsentelles
- Sant Fruitós de Bages
- Sant Joan Despí
- Sant Just Desvern
- Sant Pere de Ribes
- Sant Pol de Mar
- Sant Quirze del Vallès
- Sant Sadurní d’Anoia
- Sant Vicenç de Montalt
- Sant Vicenç dels Horts
- Santa Coloma de Cervelló
- Santa Coloma de Farners
- Santa Coloma de Gramenet
- Santa Margarida de Montbui
- Santa Perpètua de Mogoda
- Santa Susanna
- Sarrià de Ter
- Seu d’Urgell, la
- Sitges
- Solsona
- Sort
- Tarragona
- Tàrrega
- Teià
- Terrassa
- Tiana
- Tona
- Torelló
- Torredembarra
- Torrelles de Llobregat
- Tortosa
- Tremp
- Vallirana
- Valls
- Vendrell, el
- Vic
- Viladecans
- Vilafranca del Penedès
- Vilanova del Camí
- Vilanova i la Geltrú
- Vilassar de Dalt
- Vilassar de Mar
Second 131 where rent controls came into force on 09/10/2024
- Aiguafreda
- Albinyana
- Alcanar
- Alcarràs
- Alcover
- Aldea, l’
- Almacelles
- Alpicat
- Altafulla
- Ametlla de Mar, l’
- Ametlla del Vallès, l’
- Ampolla, l’
- Anglès
- Arboç, l’
- Arbúcies
- Artés
- Artesa de Segre
- Bagà
- Begues
- Begur
- Bellpuig
- Bellver de Cerdanya
- Besalú
- Bigues i Riells del Fai
- Bisbal del Penedès, la
- Borges Blanques, les
- Breda
- Cadaqués
- Calaf
- Calafell
- Caldes de Malavella
- Calonge i Sant Antoni
- Canyelles
- Cassà de la Selva
- Castellet i la Gornal
- Castellgalí
- Castelló d’Empúries
- Castell d’Aro, Platja d’Aro i s’Agaró
- Castellterçol
- Celrà
- Centelles
- Creixell
- Cunit
- Deltebre
- Dosrius
- Escala, l’
- Esquirol, l’
- Folgueroles
- Fornells de la Selva
- Gelida
- Gironella
- Hostalric
- Linyola
- Llançà
- Lliçà d’Amunt
- Lliçà de Vall
- Maçanet de la Selva
- Masquefa
- Moià
- Monistrol de Montserrat
- Montblanc
- Montbrió del Camp
- Mont-roig del Camp
- Móra d’Ebre
- Morell, el
- Navàs
- Òdena
- Olèrdola
- Olesa de Bonesvalls
- Olivella
- Pallejà
- Palma de Cervelló, la
- Pals
- Peralada
- Piera
- Pobla de Montornès, la
- Pont de Suert, el
- Ponts
- Prats de Lluçanès
- Puig-reig
- Ràpita, la
- Riells i Viabrea
- Riudarenes
- Riudoms
- Roda de Berà
- Roda de Ter
- Roses
- Sant Antoni de Vilamajor
- Sant Cebrià de Vallalta
- Sant Esteve de Palautordera
- Sant Feliu de Codines
- Sant Hipòlit de Voltregà
- Sant Jaume dels Domenys
- Sant Jaume d’Enveja
- Sant Joan de Vilatorrada
- Sant Julià de Ramis
- Sant Llorenç d’Hortons
- Sant Llorenç Savall
- Sant Martí Sarroca
- Sant Pere de Riudebitlles
- Sant Pere de Torelló
- Sant Pere de Vilamajor
- Sant Pere Pescador
- Sant Quirze de Besora
- Santa Bàrbara
- Santa Coloma de Queralt
- Santa Cristina d’Aro
- Santa Eulàlia de Ronçana
- Santa Maria de Palautordera
- Santa Oliva
- Santpedor
- Selva del Camp, la
- Sénia, la
- Sentmenat
- Seva
- Sils
- Súria
- Taradell
- Torrelles de Foix
- Torroella de Montgrí
- Tossa de Mar
- Ulldecona
- Vacarisses
- Vallgorguina
- Vidreres
- Vielha e Mijaran
- Viladecavalls
- Vilafant
- Vilanova del Vallès
- Vilobí d’Onyar
- Vinyols i els Arcs
