The bidding window for the Madrid government’s high-profile Chamberí penthouse has closed. Officials have not revealed if a buyer emerged or when results will be announced. The process remains tightly controlled and shrouded in secrecy.
The deadline to submit offers for the Madrid government’s luxury penthouse in Chamberí has passed, but officials have not said whether the property has a new owner or if the auction drew any bids. As of midnight on September 7, the regional administration stopped accepting offers. The only official statement is that results will be announced "when appropriate," according to several Spanish media outlets.
The penthouse, located at Paseo General Martínez Campos 35, has drawn criticism for the administration’s lack of transparency in both its purchase and sale. The starting price was set at 6,694,201 euros—almost 400,000 euros more than the government paid in April. For a month, the private platform Diario de Subastas showed a countdown and a polished photo of the apartment, but no one was allowed to visit. Buyers had to accept the property "as is," with no guarantee on its size or condition, and pay a deposit of 334,710.05 euros just to participate. El Mundo reports that the final price will also rise due to taxes.
The government only published a detailed description of the penthouse—listing its 481–485 m² area, nearly 100 m² terrace, two parking spaces, storage room, and private space—after a surge of public criticism.
The process is not finished. The next step, according to the contract, is for a six-member Contracting Board—mostly Planifica Madrid technicians and one representative from the Presidency—to open the sealed bids next Wednesday at 13:00. Participants will have three business days to fix any errors. If two or more offers tie at the highest price, only those bidders can submit improved proposals within five days. If the tie remains, the earliest second offer wins. Cadena SER notes that this tiebreaker rule has drawn skepticism from the press and opposition parties.
After that, the board will propose a winner, who must then prove their financial and legal standing within five business days, with an extra three days to resolve any paperwork issues. Only then can the Contracting Authority formally award the sale, which could take up to ten more business days. The final result will eventually appear on the Madrid regional procurement portal, but there is no set timeline. If no valid bids were received, the auction would be void, but authorities have not clarified the outcome.
The government’s decision to upload key documents just hours before the bidding closed suggests that at least one valid offer was received. Meanwhile, the regional minister of the Presidency, Miguel Ángel García, is scheduled to address the Assembly on Thursday to explain the penthouse sale. Opposition parties have demanded full disclosure of the purchase file, which is still not public.
The Madrid government has stated that proceeds from the penthouse sale will be used for the restoration of Sierra Oeste after recent forest fires, and has announced plans to sell four more apartments for a total of approximately 20–22 million euros.
The Chamberí penthouse is not the only property for sale. The administration is also selling a unit at Gran Vía 6, but with different rules: if no buyer appears, the offer period there becomes indefinite. Planifica Madrid, the public entity managing these assets, owns about ten properties, including historic buildings used by government departments and the former home of poet Vicente Aleixandre, now set to become a poetry center.
Throughout the process, the government has kept a tight lid on information, refusing to say who authorized the original purchase or why. This lack of transparency has fueled political tension, with opposition group Más Madrid demanding access to all supporting documents as required by Assembly rules. The controversy echoes other high-profile Spanish property and political disputes, as seen in recent coverage. According to Cadena SER and El Mundo, the sale and purchase of the penthouse are already under criminal investigation after complaints from Iustitia Europa, PSOE, and the Madrid prosecutor's office, with Más Madrid seeking to join as a popular prosecutor.
The way Madrid has handled this sale shows a pattern of bureaucratic maneuvering and selective disclosure that has eroded public trust. By blocking visits, enforcing "buyer beware" terms, and delaying key information, the administration has prioritized control over transparency. Until the government releases the full details of the transaction and explains the original purchase, the Chamberí penthouse will remain a symbol of official secrecy and political calculation.
