Evicted Madrid pensioner, 87, expected home under new rental deal
Developing story first seen 2 hours ago
Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old Spanish pensioner forcibly evicted from her Madrid flat on 23 September after living there for 70 years, is now expected to return home following a new rental agreement with the property owners. Both sides reached a "goodwill" agreement under which she will pay a similar rent to her previous €440 monthly rate, avoiding the proposed €1,650 increase that sparked her eviction and triggered tens of thousands of protesters across Spain. Her lawyer called the deal the "result of the social mobilisation", representing a significant victory for tenant rights advocates amid Spain's acute housing crisis.
Abascal's rent had been protected under an old tenancy agreement until the flat was purchased in 2018 by investment brothers Ricardo Alonso Fernández and Fernando Alonso Fuentes, who subsequently proposed the 275 per cent increase—far exceeding her monthly pension of €1,350. Her court-ordered eviction on 23 September, carried out by riot police whilst supporters barricaded her flat with furniture, had been backed by Spain's Supreme Court but sparked nationwide outcry. The Bank of Spain estimates the country faces a shortage of 700,000 homes, fuelling public anger over rising rents and weak tenant protections that prompted government promises of relief measures.
- 87-year-old evicted pensioner to return after new rental agreement reached
- Proposed 275% rent rise scrapped; she'll pay similar amount as before
- Spain's housing crisis and public outcry drove the deal
New here? Start with this
Spain faces a severe housing shortage, with the Bank of Spain estimating a deficit of around 700,000 homes. This scarcity has driven up rents sharply across the country, putting pressure on both long-term tenants and new renters. At the same time, many of Spain's oldest tenancy agreements include rent protections that limit annual increases, creating a significant gap between what some long-time residents pay and current market rates.
The story of Maricarmen Abascal illustrates the tension at the heart of Spain's housing crisis. The 87-year-old pensioner had lived in her Madrid flat for seven decades under one of those protected agreements, paying a stable monthly rent of €440—a figure well within her pension of €1,350. When investment brothers purchased the property in 2018, they sought to raise her rent to €1,650, a 275 per cent increase that would have made her home unaffordable and effectively forced her out.
When Abascal refused to accept the new terms, a court ordered her eviction. The forced removal on 23 September, carried out by riot police whilst supporters gathered to protest, drew widespread public anger across Spain. The incident has reignited debate over how to balance property owners' rights to set market rents against protections for vulnerable long-term residents, particularly older people on fixed incomes in a country already struggling with severe housing shortages.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
An 87-year-old pensioner with a seventy-year tenancy holds legitimate property rights that should not be subordinated to investment maximisation; a 275% rent increase on a €1,350 pension income is fundamentally exploitative. Tenant protections serve essential social purposes by preventing landlords from using market power to displace vulnerable residents, and housing is a human necessity that must take precedence over maximising returns. The widespread public mobilisation reflects legitimate recognition that housing security for the elderly deserves protection against market forces that would leave them homeless.
The case against
Property owners hold legitimate rights to earn competitive returns on their investments; the €440 rent was artificially suppressed by outdated regulations rather than reflecting market value. Without reasonable returns, property owners redirect capital elsewhere, reducing housing stock and worsening the shortage that Spain faces; rent controls discourage maintenance and new construction by removing owner incentives. The owners' willingness to negotiate suggests that dialogue around market rates can balance fairness with investment incentives—the most promising approach to solving long-term housing crises.
Full account
An eighty-seven-year-old Spanish pensioner is preparing to return to her Madrid home following a negotiated settlement, after her forcible removal from the property sparked nationwide protests. Maricarmen Abascal was carried from the flat on 23 September, ending over seven decades of residence there. The court-ordered eviction saw police in riot gear forcing entry through household barricades constructed by supporters gathered to prevent her departure. Her lawyer, Beatriz Duro, has confirmed that both tenant and property owners have reached an agreement whereby Ms Abascal would remain in the accommodation whilst paying substantially lower rent than had been demanded.
The property, situated in the prestigious Retiro district of central Madrid, has been in Ms Abascal's family since 1956, when her father first leased it. Following her parents' deaths, she continued as the tenant under a rent-controlled agreement. In 2018, the building was purchased by investment company Urbagestión, which sought to modernise the lease. The company subsequently demanded a significant rent increase—though sources diverge on the precise figures—and proposed monthly payments that far exceeded Ms Abascal's pension of €1,350. Three earlier court attempts to evict her had failed, yet the most recent action succeeded, resulting in her removal on a stretcher.
The September eviction triggered substantial public mobilisation. Tens of thousands participated in demonstrations through the Spanish capital on 26 September, with the case becoming a focal point for broader grievances about Spain's housing shortage and accelerating rental costs. Supporters established an encampment at Madrid's Puerta del Sol, with hundreds of tents erected in the city centre. Ms Abascal's lawyer described the agreement as emerging directly from this social reaction, and whilst supporters hailed the outcome as a victory, the Tenants' Union emphasised that legislative reform remains essential to prevent further similar removals.
The case has prompted responses from senior Spanish figures. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has pledged housing relief measures for discussion at a cabinet meeting, reflecting the issue's prominence on the political agenda. Madrid's regional leader, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has criticised the national government's response as ideologically motivated rather than practically addressing Spain's housing deficit. The Bank of Spain has assessed that the country faces a shortage of approximately seven hundred thousand homes, underscoring the scale of the crisis embodied in Ms Abascal's situation. She is presently recovering from exhaustion sustained during the eviction and will formalise the new tenancy agreement once her health permits.
Where outlets differ
Initial rent figures: Source 1 reports €440 rising to €1,650 (275% increase), whilst Source 2 reports €500 initially proposed to rise to €2,650, later reduced to €1,650
Source 2 characterises Ms Abascal as 'elderly disabled' and mentions her hospital admission following eviction; Source 1 does not emphasise disability or hospitalisation
Source 2 provides detailed reporting of protest encampment at Puerta del Sol with hundreds of tents; Source 1 focuses on broader street marches without detailing the occupied space
Source 2 includes substantial coverage of Isabel Díaz Ayuso's political criticism of the national government; Source 1 does not mention her response
Source 1 identifies the investment brothers by name (Ricardo Alonso Fernández and Fernando Alonso Fuentes) and notes they had not communicated directly with Ms Abascal over eight years; Source 2 omits these details
More coverage
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Spanish pensioner, 87, is allowed to return home after she was evicted by riot cops after investment brothers pushed her rent up by 275%, sparking nationwide fury”.