A family who had lived in the same Barcelona apartment for more than two decades was evicted on Friday morning after Spain’s anti-eviction moratorium expired. The measure had shielded vulnerable households since the pandemic, but a parliamentary vote left it unrenewed and allowed pending evictions to proceed. Social services had documented the family’s vulnerable status, yet the judicial commission, backed by a impressive police deployment, carried out the eviction at 10:30 a.m. on Marina Street.
The end of the earlier moratorium did not settle Spain’s eviction-protection structure. Congress rejected Royal Decree-Law 8/2026 on 28 April, including a proposed two-year extraordinary rental extension and a 2% cap. A separate measure, Royal Decree-Law 29/2026, introduced a targeted suspension mechanism effective from 8 October 2026 through 31 December 2030 for vulnerable people without alternative housing. It is not a general ban on evictions, and parliamentary ratification remained pending. Barcelona’s housing commission has also backed an ERC proposal urging the municipal government to guarantee protections under the state’s anti-crisis measures.
The family, led by Jordi Galí, had lived at number 124 since 2004 and renewed its rental contracts annually. Financial difficulties began when Jordi’s wife lost her job because of a recurring illness during the pandemic. That led to unpaid rent and, eventually, legal proceedings. The eviction had been on hold for years under the government’s social shield, but was reactivated as soon as the moratorium lapsed. Local tenant advocates, including the Sindicato de Inquilinas, warned that the case reflects a broader trend, with thousands of similar evictions now possible across Spain.
Figures for 2025 from the General Council of the Judiciary show the scale of eviction pressure: Catalonia recorded 6,814 evictions, compared with 2,267 in Madrid. In Catalonia, 5,025 cases involved rent arrears and 1,050 involved mortgage foreclosures. The reported rates were 83 evictions per 100,000 residents in Catalonia and 32 per 100,000 in Madrid.
Dozens of neighbors and activists gathered outside the building on the day of the eviction, hoping to prevent the family’s removal. They could not stop the process. The property, now owned by Urban Power, has shifted in use: at least five apartments in the building have been converted into licensed tourist rentals, while the remaining units are offered for short-term leases. Residents and local groups say the conversion of residential buildings into tourist accommodation is eroding neighborhood ties and reducing local families’ access to stable housing.
The rental market tightened as the family’s case unfolded. Data attributed to Fedea show that rental listings fell 22.2% in Barcelona between the first quarter of 2024 and the fourth quarter of 2025, while they rose 3.9% in Madrid. Average contacts per listing stood at 462 in Barcelona, against 103 in Madrid. Temporary rentals accounted for 64% of Barcelona rental advertisements, while figures attributed to Idealista show the city’s rental supply had fallen 90% since 2020. These citywide trends offer context for the shift toward short-term lets, but do not, by themselves, explain the use of any individual apartment.
After the eviction, the family had only a few minutes to collect its belongings. Its members are relying on temporary shelter from friends, while their youngest son is staying with acquaintances. Tenant organizations have also criticized the lack of mediation between the property owner and the tenants before the eviction. Neighbors say the area has gradually lost its community atmosphere as more apartments have shifted to tourist use.
Spain introduced its anti-eviction moratorium in 2020 as part of emergency measures to protect vulnerable tenants during the COVID-19 crisis. Subsequent changes have made protection dependent on the measure in force and the circumstances of each case. In cities such as Barcelona, where housing demand and tourist pressure are high, tensions remain acute between housing rights and the growth of temporary accommodation. Official property records show that Urban Power owns 29 apartments in the building.
