Cantabria opens public consultation on the decree that will mobilize vacant housing for rent

The Ministry of Development, Housing, Territorial Planning and Environment of the Government of Cantabria has opened the prior public consultation for the draft Decree that will create the Cantabria Alquila Program, which aims to mobilize vacant housing toward affordable rentals. The decision is formalized in the Resolution of September 22, 2026, issued through the General Directorate of Housing and Architecture and published in the extraordinary Official Gazette of Cantabria no. 17 on September 23, 2026, with reference CVE-2026-7474. This is not yet a regulation in force, but rather the prior procedure to gather the opinions of potentially affected individuals and organizations.

The resolution is based on article 51.2 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, and article 133.1 of Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations. The agreement orders the publication of the text in the Official Gazette of Cantabria and on the Cantabria Transparency Portal, and specifies that the consultation is structured around three points: the problems that the future regulation intends to solve, the necessity and opportunity of its approval, and the objectives it will pursue.

The diagnosis accompanying the resolution indicates that access to housing currently constitutes one of the main difficulties for numerous households in Cantabria, with particular intensity in the rental market, where the growth in demand has not been accompanied by a sufficient increase in the supply destined for habitual and permanent leasing. At the same time, the Executive notes that there is a significant number of homes that, while being in condition to be used as habitual residences or capable of reaching that state through adaptation works, remain outside the rental market or are dedicated to other residential uses.

The deterrents alleged by owners

The Ministry lists the reasons that, in its view, discourage owners from incorporating their homes into the rental market:

• The uncertainty associated with the eventual non-payment of rents.
• Possible damage to the properties.
• Costs derived from their conservation and repair.
• The perception of a lack of security regarding the recovery of the home in adequate condition once the rental relationship has ended.

In parallel, the text emphasizes that applicants and cohabitation units find it difficult to access a sufficient offer of rentals at prices compatible with their income and with adequate conditions of stability and permanence.

The four objectives of the future decree

The general objective of the project will be to increase the supply of housing intended for habitual and permanent rental in Cantabria through the creation and regulation of the Cantabria Alquila Program. In particular, the future regulation will seek to:

• Incentivize the voluntary incorporation into the rental market of homes that are currently vacant, unoccupied, or outside the ordinary leasing market.
• Offer property owners a framework of greater security and stability, with mechanisms aimed at guaranteeing the collection of rents and the proper conservation and restitution of the homes.
• Facilitate, when necessary, prior actions for adaptation, habitability, accessibility, or improvement that allow the homes to be incorporated into the program.
• Promote a rental offer at affordable prices intended for habitual and permanent residence, with stability and security for the tenants.

State Financing and Fit within the State Housing Plan

The Department considers the creation of the program especially 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. This regulation specifically contemplates the promotion of making homes available or incorporating them into regional mobilization programs for rental as affordable or social housing, and enables the participation of the autonomous communities and their dependent or linked entities. According to the resolution, 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 various state financing lines provided to mobilize housing toward the rental market.

The scope of the initiative is twofold: it affects property owners throughout Cantabria who hesitate to rent their properties and tenants seeking prices compatible with their income. Furthermore, the public consultation is the first formal opportunity for both groups, along with organizations and entities in the sector, to influence the content of the decree before it is approved by the Governing Council.

Source: Official Gazette of Cantabria, extraordinary no. 17, September 23, 2026, section 7.5 Miscellaneous, pp. 3870-3871 (official reference: CVE-2026-7474).