On Tuesday, Sumar and Podemos voiced concerns about the rental price index the Housing Ministry plans to publish. They argued that the current design would mostly impact the top end of rents and would not drive meaningful price reductions across the broader market.
Their positions were conveyed through Aina Vidal, deputy spokesperson for Sumar in Congress and a leader of En Comú Podem, and through Javier Sánchez Serna, Podemos’ spokesperson in the lower chamber. They anticipate that the index slated for approval on Tuesday will be used to monitor the rental market and to identify zones where tensions are highest so Spain’s Housing Law can be implemented effectively.
Vidal warned of the numerous doubts held by the multi-party bloc about the index, particularly regarding the wide maximum and minimum price bands it would establish. She noted that the bands are so broad that they would curb only the most extreme and abusive prices, rather than delivering broad relief to renters across all neighborhoods.
To illustrate, Vidal explained that under the department head Isabel Rodríguez’s proposed design the index might lower prices in high-cost areas like Madrid’s Gran Vía, but its impact would be highly questionable in neighborhoods such as Carabanchel.
A advisory signal to the PSOE: no room for hesitation
Vidal urged Minister Rodríguez to listen to all groups that have worked for years to make housing a real policy objective rather than a spoken commitment. The aim is to ensure the right to housing becomes a tangible policy instrument available to households, not merely a verbal pledge.
Similarly, Íñigo Errejón, the Sumar spokesperson in Congress, expressed concern that the reference index could prove counterproductive and cautioned the PSOE that the right to housing cannot tolerate delay or hesitation.
In a parliamentary group gathering last week, housing emerged as a central banner for Sumar during this term, highlighting its differences with the PSOE. The message was clear: the country cannot settle for less, and mistakes in this area could jeopardize other social gains and lock in an outdated economic model.
The call was to push the Housing Law to its full potential and, if necessary, pursue the legislative reforms needed to address persistent price issues in the rental market.
Podemos criticizes the publication delay
Javier Sánchez Serna, Podemos’ spokesperson in Congress, criticized the eight-month gap between the Housing Law’s inclusion of the rental index and its actual implementation. He pressed for tighter price bands that would enable meaningful reductions and faster action.
From Podemos’ perspective, the key lies in a clear reading of the final figures and the fine print. Sánchez Serna urged the index to be transparent and robust, with objective criteria and locally grounded reasoning to justify price thresholds.
He also called on the government to intervene in the rental market, arguing that broad social support exists for such measures, a position reinforced by a Catalan public opinion survey. Podemos also advocates regulating seasonal and tourist rentals to prevent evasion of the Housing Law and to strengthen its implementation across all markets.