Madrid pensioner’s return home hinges on unsigned rental agreement
Maricarmen Abascal’s lawyer says a proposed contract would let the 87-year-old return at a rent similar to her previous payment. The agreement has not been signed.
Maricarmen Abascal may return to her Madrid home under a proposed new rental agreement, her lawyer Beatriz Duro says. The rent would be similar to what Abascal previously paid, but the precise amount and contract terms have not been disclosed.
The agreement remains unsigned. Duro said it followed public mobilisation and that Abascal, who is being treated for exhaustion in hospital, would sign when she feels better. No return date has been given.
Abascal was evicted on 23 September from the flat where she had lived for more than 70 years and was taken to hospital. The eviction prompted protests across Spain and renewed calls for stronger tenant protections.
The property’s owner, investment firm Urbagestión, raised the monthly rent from €500 to €2,650 and later offered €1,650. Abascal’s monthly pension was €1,350.
Supporters have called the proposed agreement a victory while pledging to continue campaigning for more affordable housing and safeguards against similar evictions. The Bank of Spain estimates the country faces a shortfall of 700,000 homes.
