Cantabria opens the period for allegations to the decree creating the Cantabria Alquila program

The General Directorate of Housing and Architecture of the Government of Cantabria has opened the joint hearing and public information process for the draft Decree creating and regulating the Program for the promotion of housing rentals in Cantabria, known as Cantabria Alquila. The resolution, with official reference CVE-2026-8090, is published in the Official Gazette of Cantabria (BOC) no. 199, dated October 16, 2026, and grants a period of ten business days to submit allegations or suggestions. The text directly affects owners who wish to bring housing into the rental market and tenants seeking stable and affordable leases.

The regulation is being processed under article 51.3 of Law 5/2018, of November 22, on the Legal Regime of the Government, the Administration, and the Institutional Public Sector of the Autonomous Community of Cantabria, in relation to article 133.2 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations. The resolution was signed in Santander on October 14, 2026, by the Director General of Housing and Architecture, Carlos Montes García, and orders its publication in both the BOC and the Cantabria Transparency Portal.

This is not the first step of the proceedings: on September 23, 2026, the extraordinary BOC no. 17 published resolution CVE-2026-7474, which opened the prior public consultation on the same draft Decree. That process served to gather the opinions of potentially affected individuals and organizations regarding the problems to be solved, the necessity and timeliness of the regulation, and its objectives.

Ten business days to submit allegations

The deadline for submitting allegations or suggestions is ten business days, counted from the day following the publication of the resolution in the Official Gazette of Cantabria. Contributions must be made in writing and addressed to the General Directorate of Housing and Architecture.

Interested parties may submit them through two channels:

• At the locations established in article 134.8 of Law 5/2018, of November 22.
• Through the Cantabria Transparency Portal, in the box enabled for this purpose and following its instructions, accessible at http://participacion.cantabria.es/normativa.

The full text of the draft is available to the public at the offices of the General Directorate of Housing and Architecture, from 09:00 to 14:00 hours, at calle Alta, nº 5, 6th floor, Santander, and also on the Transparency Portal of the Government of Cantabria.

A program to mobilize vacant housing

According to the statement of reasons released in the prior public consultation, the general objective is to increase the supply of housing intended for habitual and permanent rental in Cantabria. The official diagnosis indicates that the growth in rental demand has not been accompanied by a sufficient increase in supply, while a significant number of homes remain outside the rental market or are used for other residential purposes.

Among the reasons that discourage owners, the regional Executive points to uncertainty regarding the eventual non-payment of rent, potential damage to the properties, conservation and repair costs, and the perception of a lack of security in recovering the home in good condition at the end of the contract. The future regulation will specifically seek to:

• Incentivize the voluntary incorporation into the rental market of empty, unoccupied homes, or those outside of ordinary leasing.
• Offer owners a framework of greater security and stability, with mechanisms that guarantee the collection of rent and the conservation and restitution of the properties.
• Facilitate prior actions for adaptation, habitability, accessibility, or improvement when necessary.
• Promote a rental offer at affordable prices, intended for habitual and permanent residence, with stability for tenants.

State Financing of the State Housing Plan 2026-2030

The creation of the program is considered particularly timely given the possibilities for collaboration and financing derived from Royal Decree 326/2026, of April 22, which regulates the State Housing Plan 2026-2030. That framework contemplates the promotion of the incorporation of housing into regional mobilization programs for rental as affordable or social housing, with the participation of the autonomous communities and their dependent or linked entities.

The new state framework would allow for the supplementation of the Autonomous Community’s own resources and the configuration of a regional program that can access, when the required conditions are met, the state financing lines provided to mobilize housing toward the rental market.

The process now open is the final opportunity for citizen participation before the project reaches the Governing Council. For owners with empty homes, the decree could translate into guarantees against non-payment and aid to prepare the properties; for tenants, into a larger supply with more affordable prices. Allegations submitted within the next ten business days may modify the final content of the regulation.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, no. 199, of October 16, 2026, section 7.5 (Other announcements), page 52888 (official reference: CVE-2026-8090).