A new proposal in the Spanish Congress aims to confront discriminatory practices in the housing market that make it harder for foreigners to rent or buy a home.
Spain’s Congress is set to debate a non-binding proposal (Proposición No de Ley, or PNL) put forward by left-wing parties including Sumar, ERC, EH Bildu, Podemos and BNG. Backed by 47 civil society organisations such as CEAR (Spanish Commission for Refugee Aid), CECU (Federation of Consumers), Provivienda, and Red Acoge, the initiative urges the government to act against what they call “residential discrimination” faced by foreigners in Spain.
While soaring rents and limited housing supply are challenges for many, foreigners also face what’s being described as “racism in the housing market”. The proposal highlights how estate agents and landlords can exploit their gatekeeping role by applying discriminatory criteria, such as demanding more paperwork or outright refusing to deal with foreign applicants.
What the proposal demands
The proposal outlines several concrete measures:
- Enforce limits on the conditions that can be legally required to rent or buy a home.
- Sanction discriminatory practices by landlords and agencies.
- Streamline the process for victims to report housing discrimination.
- Enforce the 2022 Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination Law.
- Create and activate an Independent Equality Authority to handle complaints.
- Launch affordable rental schemes with legal advice and mediation support.
- Run public awareness campaigns for migrants on their housing rights.
- Educate housing professionals on anti-discrimination obligations.
- Improve data collection on discriminatory behaviour in the property market.
Etna Estrems Fayos, an MP from ERC, described housing as “the most urgent social emergency” in Spain, adding that racist barriers add yet another layer to the problem. “We hope the government, especially the Socialist Party, goes beyond nice speeches and starts taking real action,” she said.
Provivienda report: widespread discrimination by agents
Backing up the proposal, the latest report from housing charity Provivienda reveals how entrenched this problem is. In a 2024 study titled ¿Se Alquila? Racism and Segregation in the Rental Market, the organisation found that 99% of estate agencies in Madrid and Barcelona contacted by undercover researchers accepted discriminatory instructions from fake landlords—a sharp increase from 72.5% in 2020.
According to the report, agents often comply with explicit requests not to rent to foreigners, or apply veiled tactics such as demanding extra guarantees. In particular, migrants from Africa, Asia, and Latin America face suspicion and are more often subjected to assumptions about non-payment or overcrowding. In contrast, northern Europeans with higher perceived economic status are more likely to be welcomed with open arms.
Hard data, real consequences
Data from Spain’s 2024 Living Conditions Survey adds further weight. It shows that people with disabilities, foreigners, and adults aged 30 to 44 are the most likely to face housing difficulties. Around 8.9% of people—equating to over 1.4 million residents—reported experiencing discrimination when trying to buy or rent in the last five years.
Vladimir Pascual Revelo, president of immigrant rights group Rumiñahui, underlined the stakes: “We are also helping build this country, but we’re treated like third-class citizens. We demand decent, quality housing as a basic right.”
This PNL is non-binding and serves primarily to raise political and public awareness. It remains to be seen whether the government will adopt any of the proposed measures.
