The controversy over the Madrid regional government’s €6.3 million purchase of a luxury penthouse in Chamberí has intensified, with Partido Popular leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo calling for a clear explanation from the region’s Patrimonio department. Planifica Madrid, a public company owned by the regional government, executed the purchase deed on 14 April 2026. The property was initially presented as temporary support space for regional departments during planned works at the Real Casa de Correos, the Comunidad de Madrid’s headquarters at Puerta del Sol. Feijóo has questioned why a property that, he says, cannot legally be used as office space was selected for that purpose.
In an interview with Europa Press, Feijóo said he had known since April that the regional government was seeking a location for the president’s secretariat and cabinet during the planned works. He said responsibility for explaining the purchase rests with the region’s Patrimonio department, which must clarify why it chose a property he considers unsuitable for office use. The government later described a broader purpose: an institutional property where regional authorities or officials on official visits could work and rest, with occasional accommodation.
The purchase drew wider public attention after EL PAÍS reported details of the transaction. On 30 July 2026, the government led by Isabel Díaz Ayuso announced that it would sell the penthouse and direct the proceeds to reconstruction in the Sierra Oeste, an area affected by summer wildfires. The first sale process attracted no offers, and a second attempt also failed to find a buyer. Planifica Madrid then placed the property on a permanent public-offer listing, with no fixed closing date. Its reported minimum price is €6,694,201, roughly €6.7 million, with taxes payable separately.
Feijóo said he had been invited to an informal meeting in April, where he was told temporary relocation was needed because of maintenance problems at the headquarters, including plumbing and air-conditioning failures. The penthouse, on Paseo del General Martínez Campos, covers more than 400 square metres and has two terraces; reports also describe five bedrooms and six bathrooms. As the official explanation broadened from temporary relocation space to a multifunctional institutional property, the purchase’s purpose and proportionality became basic to the political debate. The regional government has denied that it was acquired as a personal official residence for Ayuso.
In its position before the Tribunal de Cuentas, the Comunidad de Madrid said the property was bought “as a support space for the departments to meet different institutional needs” and “in no case” as Ayuso’s official residence. The government argued that the transaction complied with applicable rules and caused no financial harm to public funds. It also said the purchase added an asset to Planifica Madrid and maintained that the €6.3 million price corresponded to the property’s appraised market value at the time. In October, the regional government asked the Tribunal de Cuentas to close its investigation; the matter had not been finally resolved when that request was reported, with a further position from the Fiscalía still pending.
Legal and regulatory questions have also been raised about the building’s permitted use. The building’s regulations prohibit office use, and reports also say it is unsuitable as an official residence. Lawyer Javier Flores filed a complaint with the Tribunal de Cuentas alleging possible misuse of public funds. He argues that the planned renovation works did not justify the purchase because the works contract was not awarded until 7 August, nearly four months after the penthouse was bought, and, information from his complaint, without a public tender.
Planifica Madrid, the entity at the centre of the controversy, has a complex history. Established in 1991, it was previously known as Ciudad de la Imagen de Madrid S.A., Arproma and Obras de Madrid. It manages public assets and infrastructure projects for the region and is the successor to Arpegio, a public land developer linked to past corruption investigations, including the Púnica case. Since 2022, it has operated under its current name. Its board is led by Miguel Ángel García Martín, a close ally of Ayuso, and Pedro Corbalán Ruiz has been its chief executive officer since July 2023.
The sale has not yet converted the public expenditure into proceeds for the planned reconstruction work. Planifica Madrid’s permanent offer leaves the asset on the market, while the government’s request to close the Tribunal de Cuentas proceedings remains subject to the next procedural steps. The regional government has framed the acquisition as a way to meet institutional needs while retaining the investment’s value; failed sale attempts and continued scrutiny have kept questions about the original rationale and the use of public funds in focus.
The case has renewed attention to transparency and oversight in public real-estate transactions, particularly when large sums and senior officials are involved. Its outcome may affect scrutiny of regional spending and the management of public companies such as Planifica Madrid.
