Two housing decrees aim to extend rental contracts and provide eviction protection until 2030

The Socialist Party and Sumar have reached an agreement to approve two housing decrees.

They include a two-year extension for rental contracts expiring before December 31, 2028, an extension of eviction protections until 2030, and a ban on the purchase of homes by vulture funds until 2028.

The deal follows last-minute negotiations that forced a one-hour delay to the start of the Council of Ministers meeting.

The government has requested an extraordinary plenary session in Congress this Friday to ratify the two measures.

The decrees will need support from other parties in Congress, as the Spanish government partners of the Socialists and Sumar don't hold a majority in the chamber. Among others, they'll need to negotiate the support of Catalan pro-independence groups Esquerra Republicana and Junts. 

The executive and Sumar announced "an agreement to approve housing measures, respond to citizens' demands, and advance rights." The agreement takes the form of two separate decrees to facilitate their ratification in Congress.

The first decree includes extending eviction protections until 2030, regulating seasonal and room rentals, banning "vulture funds" from purchasing homes until 2028, and extending by two years any active rental contracts due to expire before December 31, 2028.

The second decree incorporates the agreement to establish automatic renewal for rental contracts, one of the key issues that had caused friction between the Socialists and Sumar.