The Basque Government has initiated the procedure to designate the Deba area as a stressed residential market zone

The Department of Housing and Urban Agenda of the Basque Government has initiated the procedure to declare the municipality of Deba (Gipuzkoa) as a stressed residential market zone. The Order signed by Councilor Denis Itxaso González on July 28, 2026, started the process, and the order was published in issue number 197 of the Official Gazette of the Basque Country (BOPV) on October 15, 2026, with official reference 2026/4310. The decision opens a public information period of twenty business days and, if the designation is implemented, would allow for the control of rental prices and the application of special housing policies.

Municipal request and starting point

The procedure began with a request submitted by the Deba City Council on February 25, 2026. The Council requested that the Basque Government’s housing department declare the municipality as a stressed residential market zone, in accordance with Article 18 of Law 12/2023, of May 24, regarding the right to housing. The file is being processed under number AAAA_ORD_6072/26_09.

Two documents were submitted along with the request: the diagnosis and justifying report for declaring Deba as a stressed zone, and the action plan for said designation. The report analyzes the state of the municipal market, both in terms of sale prices and rental rates, as well as the evolution of the residents’ disposable income.

Rents have increased by 21.4% in five years

The justifying report verifies that the criterion contained in section b) of Article 18.3 of Law 12/2023 is met. Referring to the stressed zones report carried out by the Basque Housing Observatory in April 2025, rental rates in Deba have increased by 21.4% over the last five years.

According to the same report, between 2018 and 2023, the increase in the average annual KPI of Deba exceeded the average increase in the Basque Country, fixed at 16.6%, by more than three points. The threshold for being declared a stressed zone is located at 19.6%.

Public information and allegations

The Order moves the procedure to the public information stage, published in the BOPV and the Official Gazette of Gipuzkoa (BOG). The period is twenty business days and is counted from the day after the last publication; during this interval, interested parties may submit any allegations they wish.

• Headquarters: Directorate of Housing Planning and Operational Processes, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Donostia-San Sebastián street 1.
• Consultation: Notice board of the Basque Government’s electronic headquarters.
• Notification: The Deba City Council will be given a hearing period of twenty business days, starting from the day after the notification.

Three-year validity and specific plan

As established in Article 18.2 of Law 12/2023, the duration of the declaration as a stressed zone is three years, and it may be extended annually following the same procedure, provided that the circumstances that led to the designation persist and the justification for the measures taken is presented. Furthermore, the declaration entails the drafting of a specific plan that will propose the necessary measures to correct the imbalances, as well as its development schedule.

According to the order, the submitted plan is feasible and appropriate to prioritize the imbalances revealed in Deba. Once the resolution is final, it must be notified to the Secretary General for Urban Agenda and Housing of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda.

Mere procedure and appeals

No appeal may be filed against this order, as it is a mere procedure. The text was signed in Vitoria-Gasteiz on July 28, 2026, by counselor Denis Itxaso González.

The designations would have a direct effect on the rental market in Deba, and, among other things, would enable the control of rental prices and special housing policies. The procedure is still in its initial phase and will be resolved after a twenty-day public information period.

Fuente: Boletín Oficial del País Vasco, no. 197, October 15, 2026, Other Provisions, pp. 1-4 (official reference: 2026/4310).