In brief
Maricarmen, an 87‑year‑old tenant who lived for seven decades in a Madrid flat, was evicted after a landlord raised rent from €500 to €2,650, later reduced to €1,650. Despite a monthly pension of €1,350, she cannot pay. The eviction, the fourth attempted removal, has sparked protests and UN intervention. It underscores Spain’s soaring rents and the tension between property investment and tenant protection.
Maricarmen’s Sudden Eviction Highlights Spain’s Housing Shortage
On a quiet Wednesday in Madrid’s Retiro district, 87‑year‑old Maricarmen was hauled out of a flat that had been her home for 70 years. The eviction follows a sharp rise in rent imposed by the investment company Urbagestión, which acquired the building in 2018.
Maricarmen’s father first rented the property in 1956 when a cap limited the rent to €500 (about €428 in U.S. dollars). She continued living there after her parents died, with the rent unchanged for decades. When the new owners bought the home, a legal loophole allowed them to increase the rate to €2,650. It was later lowered to €1,650, still far above her pension of €1,350.
The eviction marks the fourth attempt by the landlords to remove her, after three court‑ordered blockades. Media coverage and a growing online movement have brought unprecedented attention to the case.
Supporters gathered overnight, including celebrities such as Javier Bardem’s brother and singer Ana Belén, who read a poem about eviction. Hundreds of young activists marched to the building chanting “Maricarmen stays,” while others blocked internal staircases to prevent the eviction team from proceeding.
Police stormed the area, restraining protesters with batons and detaining media staff. A spokesperson from the tenants' union, Sindicato de Inquilinas, called the police assault “military‑level” and urged them to consider Maricarmen’s humanity.
Legal representatives for Maricarmen, Beatriz Duro, decried the operation as the first forced entry attempt, blaming the landlord’s refusal to negotiate. A UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had urged the government to halt the eviction and find affordable housing alternatives. The local council’s offer of an elderly care home was declined by Maricarmen.
Housing Minister Teresa Rodríguez described the eviction as a stark illustration of unchecked speculation and market out‑growth. She criticized the policies that have sent rent up by over 100% in Madrid over a decade, while the Pedro Sánchez government pledges to curb such speculative practices but critics say more investment in new homes is needed.
The Maricarmen case has become a rallying cry for the housing debate in Spain, exposing the clash between the need for affordable housing and the incentives of real‑estate investment.
