Unpaid rent accounted for almost two out of every three evictions in Spain during the first quarter of 2026. Courts recorded 4,005 launches between January and March, 45.4% fewer than in the same period of 2025. Spain's General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) reported 2,600 cases linked to rent arrears, or 64.9% of the total, making them the leading route to losing a home, well ahead of mortgage enforcement.
The case of Maricarmen, an 87-year-old tenant in Madrid's Retiro district, has returned the issue to public view. Her situation reflects how the housing crisis has shifted since the financial crash: mortgage defaults once dominated the eviction debate, while rental arrears now account for 65% of court-ordered launches.
Catalonia recorded the most removals, with 921 cases, or 23% of the national total. The Valencian Community followed with 741 cases, Andalusia with 616 and Madrid with 582. Europa Press and other outlets reported the regional ranking based on court statistics.
The lower national total does little to ease the pressure on tenants who cannot keep up with monthly payments. It also does not mean every type of housing enforcement is moving in the same direction.
Proceedings under the Law of Urban Leases (LAU) produced 2,600 launches in the first quarter, down 53.9% from a year earlier. The Valencian Community ranked first in this category, with 513 cases. Catalonia had 489, Madrid 454 and Andalusia 355.
Mortgage-related launches made up 24.24% of all removals and fell 18.3% from a year earlier. Catalonia again recorded the most cases, with 217. Andalusia followed with 208 and the Valencian Community with 158. The distinction matters because the national figures cover several legal routes that can lead to the loss of possession.
The court figures reflect a broader national concern. A housing analysis published earlier examined how rising prices and a structural shortage of homes have made housing Spain's biggest problem in public opinion surveys.
Mortgage enforcement data point to a separate risk. Executions involving habitual homes reached 3,703 in the second quarter of this year, 10% more than in the previous quarter and 27.5% above the same period a year earlier. INE data showed this was the highest figure since the first quarter of 2017. These are certificates of mortgage executions initiated and registered in Property Registries, not completed evictions. The launch procedure begins only if the affected owner does not surrender possession.
The full-year figures for 2025 show the scale more clearly. The Consejo General del Poder Judicial recorded 25,540 eviction proceedings, 11% fewer than in 2024. Of those cases, 18,317, or 71.7%, arose from LAU proceedings. Another 4,346, equal to 17%, followed mortgage executions. Other causes accounted for 1,877 launches.
Rental-related removals fell 10.9% year on year in 2025. Those linked to mortgage enforcement fell 14.3%. Catalonia accounted for 6,814 launches, or 26.6% of the national total, followed by Andalusia.
Spain's eviction problem is now concentrated in the rental market, rather than driven mainly by unpaid mortgages. Thousands of proceedings remain even as the total falls, with rent arrears at the center of the issue for tenants and mortgage enforcement affecting owners. The sharp annual decline does not mean the housing problem has been solved.
