After seventy years in her Madrid apartment, 87-year-old Maricarmen was forced out by a private investment fund. Her story has become a rallying cry for those demanding action against steep rent hikes and evictions in Spain's capital.
Maricarmen, 87, left her Madrid apartment on a hospital stretcher. She had lived there her whole life. Her belongings stayed behind. The eviction was carried out by the investment fund Urbagestión. It ended seven decades of tenancy and set off a new wave of anger over housing insecurity in Madrid. Reuters and BBC report the eviction happened on September 23, 2026, in the Retiro district. Maricarmen was taken straight to the hospital after being removed from her home.
This case stands out because Urbagestión refused to negotiate. The company bought the building in 2018. It demanded Maricarmen pay €1,650 a month—more than triple the €500 she paid under her old “renta antigua” contract. She could not afford the new rent. Her pension was about €1,350, according to ARA and russpain.com. The fund went ahead with the eviction anyway, not even giving her an hour to collect her things.
The eviction attempt was the fourth in a series of legal actions against Maricarmen, following years of unresolved conflict with the new owner.
Maricarmen’s ordeal is not unique. Her story spread quickly after a video message from her hospital bed. She has become a symbol for tenants in Madrid facing the same threat. In her own words: “I have not managed to defend my house, but I have fought so that others learn to fight for theirs.” She called on Madrid residents to join a demonstration organized by the Sindicato de Inquilinas. The march will go from Puerta del Sol to the Congress of Deputies, demanding answers to the eviction crisis. Demócrata reports the protest movement spread fast, with urgent rallies in 12 cities across Spain after her eviction.
Maricarmen’s tenancy began in 1956, when her father signed the first lease. After he died, the contract passed to her mother, then to Maricarmen. The terms stayed the same—annual rent updates tied to inflation and extra charges like property tax. For nearly twenty years, she had the security of Spain’s old rent control system. That ended when Urbagestión took over. The fund pushed for a 275% rent hike and tried to evict her four times. DW reports that Inquilinas de Madrid called her case part of a wider "rental bubble" in the region. The Spanish government also criticized the decision to evict her.
Maricarmen won a first-instance court ruling, but lost on appeal. Spain’s Supreme Court sided with the investor. The eviction went ahead with no real negotiation. Tenant groups condemned the move. The case has put new pressure on so-called “vulture funds” in Spain’s housing market.
During the eviction, hundreds of protesters gathered outside Maricarmen's building, and police used force, including tear gas and pepper spray, to disperse the crowd. The incident has become a nationally resonant case, highlighting the acute housing crisis and rising social tensions in Madrid and across Spain.
Her story has already shaped the public debate, as reported earlier. Political parties and activists are using her case to push for urgent reforms.
From her hospital bed, Maricarmen thanked those who supported her. She urged authorities to tackle the problem of aggressive investment funds. The protest she inspired is set to bring the issue straight to Spain’s lawmakers. Many hope her loss will not be for nothing.
This eviction shows the harsh reality for many elderly and vulnerable tenants in Madrid. When legal protections disappear and negotiation is not an option, investors hold all the power. Maricarmen’s fate is a warning: without strong policy action, more lifelong residents could be forced out by financial interests that ignore the human cost.
