The Community of Madrid is keeping its controversial Chamberí penthouse on the market, with proceeds intended to support reconstruction linked to the Sierra Oeste wildfires. The second sale period closed on 21 October 2026 at 23:59 without a single bid. Planifica Madrid, the regional public company managing the property, has since moved the sale to an open-ended public-adjudication process. The apartment will remain available under the existing terms until it is awarded to a buyer or the company withdraws it.
The penthouse at Paseo del General Martínez Campos 35 is described as measuring 485 square meters. Planifica Madrid acquired it in April 2026 for about €6.3 million, and set the minimum sale price at €6,694,201 before taxes. The new open-ended process leaves that threshold unchanged. So far, the failed sale has brought the government no proceeds from this asset, even as it has said money raised from the disposal would go toward recovery in wildfire-affected areas.
The property became politically contentious after the regional government presented it as space for President Isabel Díaz Ayuso during renovation work at the Real Casa de Correos. Later descriptions suggested its possible use could extend beyond a temporary office. Its residential status also drew scrutiny amid reports that planning rules restrict its conversion to office use. Following criticism and media coverage of the acquisition, the administration announced it would sell the apartment.
Four apartments at Gran Vía 6, previously used as offices, were also cited as part of the wider disposal of public property. The Chamberí penthouse’s failed tender is now being handled through an open procedure rather than a new fixed-deadline auction. The regional government says proceeds from the sale would go toward wildfire recovery. Planifica Madrid’s process leaves the property available until a buyer is selected or the offer is withdrawn.
The controversy follows changing public explanations of the penthouse’s intended role and renewed scrutiny of how the regional government uses public assets. The debate echoes earlier questions about the acquisition, including the debate surrounding the Chamberí penthouse purchase.
The regional government has said proceeds from a future sale would support reconstruction after the Sierra Oeste wildfires, which destroyed around 100 primary residences. With no bids received during the second offer period, the penthouse sale has yet to produce the proposed funding. The property remains on offer, and the final amount raised will depend on whether it is eventually adjudicated.
The episode has raised questions about public spending and residential planning, alongside the relocation of administrative activity. The apartment is in Chamberí, a basic Madrid district, and Planifica Madrid’s decision keeps the existing minimum price while allowing the sale to continue without a fixed closing date. The government’s stated recovery objective remains tied to a completed disposal.
