Trapped in the burofax after the fall of the decree to extend the rentals

The Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption encouraged the 2.7 million tenants potentially affected by the rental extension to send a burofax to their landlord as the key for the contract extension to be valid. However, those affected are not sure that this document protects landlords against tenants. The general atmosphere is one of confusion, which increases instability in a market that has already been complicated for some time.

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Santiago is one of the senders of burofax. “When the decree was approved, we sent it.” They did not receive a response. He shares an apartment with two other people in Carabanchel, Madrid. “We take it for granted that the contract would be extended because we understand that we would have the right to do so during the time the decree was in force.” But he is not completely sure. “If the landlady wants to evict us, she can go to court and sue us, we will see the judicial deadlines.”

The problem for many tenants is that finding a place to move to right now is practically impossible. Rental queues are getting longer and landlords’ requirements more demanding. Darío is trapped in this situation. He lives in Las Palmas and his contract ends on February 1, 2027. “On April 20 I sent the burofax to the owner, it cost me 32 euros,” he says. “He replied that he was not going to accept it.” His situation is critical. He has paid on time, despite receiving a subsidy. He is 65 years old and only wants to stay in that home for two more years to retire at 67. “I told my wife, who is dependent, that we are not going to leave,” he assures.

Marta (a fictitious name, the affected person has requested anonymity) is also in a critical situation. She lives with her partner in a small apartment in the Les Corts neighborhood of Barcelona, for which she pays more than 800 euros a month. The contract ends in August and at the beginning of April she sent a burofax to her landlord to opt for the two-year extension. “He didn’t answer me, the real estate agency says he wants to sell the property,” says this 31-year-old woman. Now, she is urgently looking for an alternative, although she says she feels overwhelmed and too weak to start a legal process. “I don’t want legal troubles; we have proposed to the owner to extend the contract for at least a few months, to have more time to find a new apartment, but he doesn’t want to, and finding a rental in Barcelona is almost impossible, for every offer there are 200, 300 applications…,” she explains. So much so that she has considered moving back in with her parents while trying to get her own home.

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Amanda has had better luck, a neighbor at number 37 Riereta Street in Barcelona, where the neighbors, together with the Sindicat de Llogateres, have mobilized to preserve their rentals. “My contract expired in March of this year, and I requested the two-year extension right during the decree’s validity period,” she explains. The owner, one of the largest real estate funds in Spain, had to accept the extension. But other neighbors, with contracts expiring in the coming months, have not received a response. “The fund is turning the apartments that are left without tenants into Airbnbs,” she says.

Among landlords, insecurity also spreads. Antonio owns several properties. He buys, renovates, and rents them out. His opinion is clear after what happened with the decree: “Traditional renting, never again. The apartments I buy will go to seasonal rentals or for sale,” he assures. “Instead of making it easier for those of us who offer housing for rent, they make it harder,” he opines. “The decree makes it difficult for small owners to be encouraged to enter the rental market,” he concludes.