Spain’s housing protests: What the crisis means for expats — and why the Netherlands should take note

If you’re an international living in the Netherlands, you might be watching Spain’s housing protests with a mix of concern and recognition. The crisis there — triggered by the eviction of an 87-year-old pensioner and the failure of emergency legislation — highlights issues that resonate far beyond Spanish borders: rising rents, investor‑bought properties, and the struggle for affordable housing.

How it started

On 26 September, María del Carmen Abascal was evicted from her Madrid home of 70 years after an international investment fund bought her building and hiked the rent beyond what she could afford. Her story became a symbol of a housing market that many Spaniards say is broken. Within days, tents went up in central Madrid and protests spread across the country.

Parliament rejects emergency measures

On Friday 2 October, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s minority left‑wing coalition put two emergency decrees to a vote in Congress. Both were defeated.

• First decree aimed to suspend evictions of vulnerable tenants until 2030, extend rental leases due to expire before 2028 by two years, raise taxes on tourist apartments, and restrict “vulture funds” from buying residential property. It was rejected 178‑172.
• Second decree proposed automatic renewal of rental contracts (effectively making them indefinite), with landlords having to pay 12 months’ rent to break the lease. It was rejected 184‑166.

The conservative People’s Party (PP) and far‑right Vox had already said they would vote against both measures. BBC News

Tens of thousands take to the streets

By Saturday 3 October, demonstrators in Madrid and more than 50 other cities were demanding a general strike and real reform. “There is a lot of anger in the streets,” a spokesperson for the Valencia Tenants’ Union told the BBC. In Valencia, clashes broke out between protesters and police, who fired rubber bullets and tear gas. Al Jazeera

Valeria Racu, a spokesperson for the Tenants’ Union, said the rallies revealed “a new energy that we haven’t seen in a long time – energy that is showing that eight days of people’s power can achieve more than eight years of progressive government.” Al Jazeera

Will Sánchez call snap elections?

The defeat in parliament has fuelled speculation that Sánchez may call an early general election as soon as November, even though the current term runs until next summer. His coalition does not command a majority in Congress, making it difficult to pass any legislation without support from parties that are now deeply divided over housing. BBC News

What does this mean for expats in the Netherlands?

While the Netherlands is not Spain, the same forces are at play here: foreign investment funds buying up residential stock, short‑term lets squeezing long‑term supply, and a shortage of affordable homes. The Dutch government has introduced measures such as the Wet betaalbare huur (Affordable Rent Act) and stricter rules for holiday rentals, but enforcement remains patchy. For expats on residence permits, the Spanish crisis is a reminder that tenant protections can be fragile — and that political gridlock can leave renters exposed.

If you are renting in the Netherlands, your rights are stronger than in many other EU countries: indefinite contracts are the norm, rent increases are capped, and evictions require a court order. But that could change if a future government decides to loosen protections. The Spanish protests show what happens when those safeguards are absent — and when people feel they have no choice but to take to the streets.