Alberto Nuñez Feijoo has vowed to evict squatters within 48 hours as part of a housing package he wants to introduce if he becomes prime minister next month.
Speaking in Sevilla alongside Andalucian president Juanma Moreno, the Partido Popular leader pledged to prioritise an anti-squatting law, new land legislation and an overhaul of the rules governing communities of property owners.
He said the proposals were already drafted and would be taken forward at his first cabinet meeting, with action promised within his first 100 days in office.
It comes as Spain is set to head to the polls for a snap general election on November 29.
Feijoo argued that greater legal certainty for landlords must go hand in hand with protection for tenants, while promising ‘zero tolerance’ towards the illegal occupation of other people’s properties.
His proposed anti-squatting legislation would seek to establish a maximum 48-hour eviction procedure.
He did not specify which cases would qualify or how the process would operate.
For the rental market, Feijoo proposed tax deductions for both landlords and tenants who agree to extend expiring contracts for up to three years, provided rent increases remain below inflation.
He described the arrangement as a ‘fiscal contract’ intended to encourage more stable tenancies.
The PP leader also pledged what he called the biggest-ever package of assistance for young homebuyers.
He claimed that someone who had worked for five years could save up to €25,000 in taxes when buying a property worth around €250,000, while needing approximately €50,000 less upfront to secure a mortgage.
However, the announcement as reported did not provide a detailed breakdown of how those figures would be achieved or the eligibility requirements.
Feijoo also committed to a plan to create one million homes, saying he wanted people currently protesting over housing costs to have access to a decent home before the end of the next parliamentary term.
He accused Pedro Sanchez’s government of fuelling divisions between landlords and tenants, arguing that Spain’s housing shortage required measures that protected both sides.
Spaniards will head to polls in just over a month.
