Elderly Woman's Eviction Reveals Housing Crisis in Spain

An 87-year-old woman was evicted on Wednesday from the apartment where she lived for seven decades in the Retiro neighborhood of Madrid. The case of Maricarmen, which did not have its name disclosed, exposed the seriousness of the housing crisis in Spain, marked by increasingly expensive rents and difficult access to housing.

The eviction occurred after years of legal dispute between the elderly woman and the investment company that owns the property. The Spanish court ruled in favor of the company, and the judicial commission executed the order in its fourth attempt.

Old lease agreement in dispute

Maricarmen lived in an apartment of 92 m2 on the street Alcalde Sainz de Baranda, in one of the most privileged neighborhoods of the Spanish capital. The lease was signed by his father in 1956, during the Franco dictatorship, and falls under the regime known as old lease.

After the death of his father, his wife began to occupy the property as a tenant. When she died in 2005, the contract was passed on to Maricarmen, setting up a second succession. According to the interpretation of the Spanish Supreme Court, the contract could not be extended indefinitely in this case.

The elderly woman paid 500 euros per month of rent (about R $ 3,000), a value much lower than the current market price. In August 2026, average rents in Madrid reached 23.3 euros per square meter, an increase of 5.1% over the previous year, according to the portal Idealista.

Company charges updated value

In 2018, the family owner sold the building to the company Renta Corporación. Two years later, the company offered Maricarmen the purchase of the apartment for 247,000 euros (about R$ 1.5 million), but she said she could not pay that price.

Initially, the new company charged the tenant 2,650 euros per month (R$ 15.6 thousand). Then, he agreed to receive 1,650 euros (R$ 9,700). The revised amount exceeded by 300 euros the monthly retirement of Maricarmen, of 1,350 euros (R$ 7,9 thousand).

The elderly woman’s lawyer claims that she continued to pay the same amount of rent that had already been charged, without ever refusing to pay. The company claimed that the old contract was closed and charged the updated value.

Eviction and protest of activists

On Wednesday, dozens of activists gathered in front of the building’s door to try to stop the eviction. They demonstrated support for the elderly and protested against the situation in the Spanish real estate market, where access to housing is increasingly difficult.

Maricarmen, who has reduced mobility and 50% disability, left the apartment in a wheelchair. She was transported to the hospital and, after a medical check-up, decided to move in with her family.

The court had already set three dates for the eviction. The last attempt was scheduled for Wednesday, September 23.

Housing crisis in evidence

The Maricarmen case also exposed the so-called old lease agreements, signed decades ago and subject to specific rules on the price of the rent and its transmission to the tenant’s relatives. Over time, the law allowed some contracts to remain in force, but changed the rules for updating values and which relatives could keep the contract in the event of the tenant’s death.

The change of owner of the apartment did not automatically close the rent. First, it was necessary to determine whether the Maricarmen contract remained in force. And, according to the interpretation of the Spanish Supreme Court, in her case, the contract could not be extended indefinitely, because it is a second succession.

The eviction of the elderly woman has stirred up the debate about the housing crisis in Spain, where rental prices have risen steadily, especially in large cities. Maricarmen’s situation illustrates the vulnerability of former tenants to real estate valuation and changes in contractual rules.

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