In Barcelona, tenants threatened with eviction due to the actions of investment funds have achieved a significant reprieve. Following public protests and the intervention of the city ombudsman, the court agreed to suspend the eviction for three months. This decision sent a clear signal to the rental market: for the first time, city authorities and residents have united against coliving practices and speculative schemes that displace long-term tenants.
Pressure on investors
A pivotal moment was the case of Txema Escorsa, a tenant from the Gràcia neighborhood, whom the fund New Amsterdam Developers (NAD) attempted to evict. Mass support from neighbors, the refusal of the city council and the Catalan government to back the eviction, as well as negotiations involving the Síndic de Greuges, forced NAD to change its stance and agree to negotiations. According to El Pais, the company had previously refused contact but has now agreed for the first time to dialogue with tenants.
Tenant stories
At the center of the conflict are Rosario Castelló, Gemma Tramullas, Marga Aguilar, and Melanie Andrada. Each has faced different forms of pressure: Rosario is the last resident of a house on Entença, converted into coliving by the company Vandor; Gemma rents an apartment repeatedly resold between investors; Marga lives in Casa Papallona, purchased by NAD, with an expired contract and a set eviction date; Melanie is in a building on Tarragona, where owners obtained 120 licenses for tourist apartments. Their stories have become symbols in the fight against the aggressive policies of investors.
New platform and official response
Under pressure from the public and tenants in the Eixample district, a special Mesa en Defensa del Alquiler was created—a platform for negotiations between residents, authorities, and property owners. According to Housing Commissioner Joan Ramon Riera, the city has made it clear: room rentals and short-term contracts will no longer be supported, and violations will be documented and penalized. Local residents’ associations have also joined the platform’s work.
The position of property owners
Of all the companies mentioned, only Vandor commented on the situation. The company stated that Rosario Castelló has been living without a contract for five years but continues to pay rent. Vandor offered her a new seven-year lease in another renovated building at a lower rate and is ready to discuss compensation. The company also emphasized that it has not conducted evictions or put properties up for sale, and the change of investor is related to development plans rather than legislative changes.
Context and significance
What happened in Barcelona reflects a broader trend: tenants are increasingly resisting being pushed out of the housing market and are demanding protection from speculation from the authorities. As El Pais notes, the three-month postponement and the launch of a dialogue platform have become an important precedent for the city. Similar conflicts are taking place in other regions of Spain—for example, in Madrid the address Tribulete 7 has become a symbol of the fight for housing, which was detailed in the RUSSPAIN report.
