The Comunidad de Madrid bought a €6.3 million luxury penthouse in Chamberí through public company Planifica Madrid on April 14, 2026. An internal leak brought the deal to light. It had bypassed the usual checks by the Assembly and Council of Government, widening divisions within Isabel Díaz Ayuso’s government.
Details of the purchase reached El País before officials could control the story. The leak exposed the government’s fragile internal unity. Official documents and statements cited by leading Spanish media confirm the purchase of the penthouse on Paseo del General Martínez Campos. The original plan included renting the property for €3,000 per month, a detail that emerged after the internal dossier was leaked.
Inside the Real Casa de Correos, finger-pointing has intensified. Reporter David Fernández says attention has turned to the Consejería de Economía, Empleo y Hacienda, led by Rocío Albert López-Ibor. Many suspect the leak came from within, driven by unrest among Partido Popular members concerned about legal and electoral fallout. If the scandal reaches court, Ayuso’s absolute majority in the Madrid Assembly could be at risk.
There are also signs that sensitive details reached the national party headquarters on Calle Génova, where data security appears weak. National president Alberto Núñez Feijóo has made only vague comments about a “provisional office.” The documents describe a seven-bathroom penthouse officially listed for “occasional accommodation of authorities.” Miguel Ángel García Martín, the regional government’s spokesperson, has offered shifting explanations for the property. It was first described as a temporary workspace during renovations at the Real Casa de Correos. Officials later denied it was intended as an official residence, then said it was for institutional support and occasional stays.
The regional government used Planifica Madrid to buy the penthouse, bypassing the usual administrative process and direct review by the Intervención General de la Comunidad de Madrid, which handles financial checks. That shielded the deal from immediate scrutiny and raised questions about legality and transparency. García Martín has repeatedly insisted that the penthouse was never intended for President Ayuso, who "continues to live in her own home." Officials say it was for institutional use during renovations to the government headquarters.
The Consejería de Presidencia released a 224-page dossier, but its contents have raised further questions. The file appeared as a single PDF without metadata, making it impossible to establish when the documents were written or whether the legal reasoning was added later. Detailed reviews point to serious accounting and legal problems. One plan involved leasing the property back to Planifica Madrid, with a fifteen-month grace period before payments began. That would have kept the expense out of public accounts until the end of the year, delaying budget checks, even though regional law requires the Council of Government to approve any deal over €500,000. The leak and the dossier’s publication prompted Madrid authorities to release the full set of documents on the transparency portal.
Under pressure, Ayuso’s team moved quickly to sell the penthouse. The government first put it up for auction, hoping Madrid’s hot property market would attract a buyer, but the attempt failed. Fifty days later, the auction had attracted no bids, and neither international funds nor private investors had shown interest. The government remains stuck with an expensive property and no clear way out. Spanish press reports say it is still unsold, and the administration is now trying an open sale under new conditions.
Díaz Ayuso’s recent appearance after an official event showed the strain; her answers lacked their usual punch. El País reports that mid-level officials and parliamentarians now admit they have lost momentum, while the government’s once-aggressive communication style is wearing thin as more documents emerge. The Madrid Assembly is debating the fallout. García Martín defends the deal as institutional, while the opposition points to transparency problems and possible budget risks.
The Chamberí penthouse continues to drain public money without a clear justification. The crisis remains basic to Madrid’s government, with the threat of court action hanging over party leaders.
