2024-01-11 16:27:08
MadridAfter the Generalitat asked in June to be able to limit the price of rents in 140 Catalan municipalities, the Minister of Territory, Ester Capella, has assured that this measure will come into force from February. Specifically, in an appearance from Madrid after meeting with the new Minister of Housing, Isabel Rodríguez, Capella explained that in the coming weeks the Spanish government will publish the reference price index for rents that must allow contain incomes in those areas declared “stressed”.
In a statement, the Ministry of Housing has also informed that it plans to publish this index “during the month of February”. In fact, as the ARA explained, the design of the index has already been well advanced for weeks, but the early calling of general elections and the creation of the portfolio (in the last legislature Housing was within the ministry of Transport) meant stopping the technical work for a few days.
But the index is not enough to start rent control. In parallel with the resolution that must include the design of this tool, it is necessary for the Ministry of Housing to publish the resolution giving the go-ahead to the 140 areas that the Generalitat has identified as “stressed”. Sources from the Ministry of Housing confirm to ARA that this second resolution is also scheduled to be published in February, along with the index. Once the two documents are published, the very next day the Generalitat will be able to thread the needle to contain the incomes in these 140 areas.
According to the Generalitat, 6.2 million people live in these 140 municipalities, representing 80.6% of the total population of Catalonia. These are, above all, localities that are concentrated in the metropolitan area of Barcelona and on the coast of the country. And the four Catalan capitals are part of the list with a high risk of access to affordable housing. You can consult the rest of the municipalities where the rent will be regulated on this map and in the final list.
The 140 municipalities that the Government has declared as a tense area in the housing market
In Catalonia, the index is being eagerly awaited because for the moment it has been the only community that has moved the bill to be able to regulate rents in stressed areas. Precisely for this reason, apart from the specific working group of the ministry, together with the Tax Agency and the cadastre, who is also behind the design of the index is the Generalitat itself. In fact, as agreed in the state law, those autonomous communities that had their own index – this was the case in Catalonia until the Constitutional Court overturned part of the Catalan housing law – could enter into negotiations the design The Generalitat aspired to have its own and non-homogeneous index for the whole State, as the ministry wants. But, finally, it will be the same for all autonomous communities.
Difference between small owner and large owner
The index will not affect large owners (with five homes or more) and small owners equally. In the case of small children, when making a new contract they must maintain the price of the previous one and can only apply the income update (it is usually linked to inflation). They can only increase the rent by 10% if they show that they have carried out certain works on the property. In return, they will be able to qualify for generous tax credits, especially if they reduce the rent price.
In the case of large owners (individuals and legal entities), in these “stressed” areas the regulation may affect those who have five or more homes (as long as they are in the affected area; if not, it will be from ten homes ). When signing a contract, they will have to adjust the price according to the index. This will be given when it is a new (non-current) contract. In the case of the small ones, if they put a flat on the market that has not been there for the last five years, that is to say, that does not have a reference contract, it also affects them.
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