Urbagestión has proposed adding Maricarmen’s disputed flat to Madrid’s Reviva program, aiming to let her return under a stable and affordable lease. The city council has yet to respond, while tenant advocates remain skeptical about the offer’s substance.
Maricarmen Abascal’s flat at Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, 46, could soon be back in her hands. Urbagestión Desarrollo e Inversión has asked Madrid’s city hall to add the disputed property to the Reviva program. If the council agrees, Maricarmen could move back in under a stable, below-market rent. That’s what Urbagestión claims. RTVE and Reuters both report the company’s offer is for a "stable and affordable" lease. The proposal comes after days of public anger and a flood of emails that, according to Urbagestión, crashed their servers and made it hard to respond.
The company says the flat is not for sale. Instead, it has offered to hand it over temporarily to the Empresa Municipal de Vivienda y Suelo (EMVS). EMVS would then sublet it at an affordable rate. Urbagestión says it is open to any other solution the city or public bodies might suggest. So far, the council has not replied or explained how this plan would work. Maricarmen had lived in the flat since 1956. RTVE, Reuters, and Euronews all confirm her long history there.
Maricarmen is 87 years old and has a 50% disability, a fact that has intensified public outcry over her eviction.
Urbagestión’s lawyer signed a statement confirming the company got a purchase offer from pianist James Rhodes. No price was named. The offer came after Maricarmen was already evicted. The company did not mention other offers, including one from a well-known writer who reportedly wanted to pay Maricarmen’s rent. Urbagestión says it has tried to reach a deal since 2023. It offered a new contract with rent set 40–50% below market rates. Spanish media cited by 20minutos and El Español report Maricarmen’s rent jumped from about 500 euros to as much as 2,650 euros per month. Later, a lower figure of 1,650 euros was discussed. The numbers show the financial strain at the heart of the fight.
But the Sindicato de Inquilinas says neither they nor Maricarmen’s lawyer have seen any direct offer. "For us, it is not real because nothing has reached us," a spokesperson said. The communication gap is clear. Reuters reports Maricarmen’s lawyers asked for the eviction to be suspended. The court did not grant it. The eviction went ahead on September 23, 2026, despite protests and appeals.
The Reviva program is Madrid’s way to bring empty private flats back into use. Owners hand them over to the EMVS, which then rents them out at affordable prices. Owners keep legal title and get the rent paid by tenants. As of January, the city said 200 flats were in the program. But the process for adding new properties is still unclear. So is the timeline.
The Supreme Court of Spain ruled in March in favor of the property owners, overturning a lower court decision that had supported Maricarmen, according to Euronews. This legal outcome was a turning point that enabled the eviction to proceed despite ongoing public and legal appeals.
Urbagestión’s latest statement repeats its earlier denial of most published accounts about Maricarmen’s eviction. The company says it owns only this one flat, not the whole building. Now it is waiting for the city’s answer. RTVE notes Urbagestión rejects the "vulture fund" label and says it wants to work with public authorities.
This case has drawn national attention. For more background, see the earlier breakdown on the standoff. The fight over private property rights, public housing policy, and the reality for vulnerable tenants is playing out in real time. Maricarmen’s future depends on whether Madrid’s city hall acts quickly.
One thing is clear. There has been no direct contact with Maricarmen’s advocates. The city has not set any timeline or conditions. Urbagestión’s offer is just that—an offer. Until the council moves, Maricarmen’s hope for a stable, affordable home is still only a promise. The case shows how fragile tenant protections are in Madrid. Goodwill means little when officials stay silent.
