Housing declares 53 municipalities as stressed market zones and extends 118

The Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition has declared 53 municipalities in Catalonia as stressed residential market zones, a decision that activates rent price limits and expands the definition of a large holder. The measure was formalized through Resolution TER/3740/2026, dated October 16, signed by the Secretary of Housing, Lídia Guillén Simón, and published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya (DOGC) no. 9775, dated October 19, 2026, with the reference CVE-DOGC-A-26289080-2026.

The declaration is framed within Article 18 of Law 12/2023, of May 24, on the right to housing, which allows competent administrations to declare stressed residential market zones to guide public actions in areas with a special risk of insufficient housing supply. The competence is exclusive to the Generalitat by virtue of Article 137 of the Statute of Autonomy of Catalonia, and is exercised by the Secretariat of Housing according to Decree 242/2025, of November 4, modified by Decree 130/2026, of July 28.

The procedure began on July 21, 2026, when the Secretary of Housing agreed to initiate the file, with a justifying report proving the concurrence of the circumstances of Article 18.3 of the law in the 53 municipalities. The schedule of procedures was as follows:

• July 28, 2026: publication of the procedure announcement in DOGC no. 9717 and opening of a 20-day public information period.
• August 11, 2026: five-day extension of the hearing period, in accordance with Article 32 of Law 39/2015.
• August 19, 2026: ten-day extension of the public information period, published in DOGC no. 9733.
• August 24, 2026: new ten-day hearing procedure due to a computer incident in the electronic notification system.
• October 15, 2026: assessment report of the allegations presented during the two procedures.

The affected municipalities

The resolution includes localities from all districts, from large industrial centers to small mountain and coastal municipalities. The complete list is as follows: Agramunt, Bàscara, Bellvei, Callús, Camarles, Campdevànol, Capellades, Cardona, Castellbell i el Vilar, Constantí, Crespià, l’Espluga de Francolí, Figaró-Montmany, els Hostalets de Pierola, la Jonquera, Llagostera, Madremanya, Martorell, Masllorenç, Montferrer i Castellbò, el Montmell, Navarcles, Osor, Palau-sator, el Pla de Santa Maria, la Pobla de Mafumet, la Pobla de Segur, el Port de la Selva, Prats i Sansor, les Preses, Ribera d’Urgellet, Rosselló, Sallent, Salomó, Sant Andreu de la Barca, Sant Feliu de Pallerols, Sant Gregori, Sant Hilari Sacalm, Sant Iscle de Vallalta, Sant Joan de les Abadesses, Sant Joan les Fonts, Sant Martí de Centelles, Sant Vicenç de Castellet, Santa Eugènia de Berga, Santa Margarida i els Monjos, Torà, Tordera, Torrefarrera, Ullà, Vallfogona de Balaguer, Vandellòs i l’Hospitalet de l’Infant, Vilalba Sasserra i Vila-seca.

Price limits and large holders

The declaration has two immediate effects on the market. On one hand, the maximum rental price limit is applied according to the reference price index system, under the terms of article 17.7 of Law 29/1994, of November 24, on urban leases, to contracts for properties located in the area for which no housing lease contract has been in force in the last five years.

On the other hand, according to article 3.k) of Law 12/2023, a large holder is considered to be any natural or legal person who owns five or more urban residential properties located within the declared area. The resolution orders the decision to be communicated to the Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Agenda of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, and provides for an administrative appeal before the Minister of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition within a period of one month.

Extension in 118 municipalities and 22 exits

On the same day, the DOGC publishes Resolution TER/3739/2026, of October 16 (CVE-DOGC-A-26289079-2026), which extends the validity of the area declared by Resolution TER/800/2024, of March 13, in 118 of the 140 municipalities that were part of it. The extension maintains the consideration of large holder and the application of the price limit of article 17.7 of Law 29/1994.

The remaining 22 municipalities are excluded from the area because they no longer meet the conditions of article 18.3 of the law: Banyoles, Berga, Cabrera de Mar, Caldes d’Estrac, Calldetenes, Canovelles, Cervelló, Cervera, Figueres, les Franqueses del Vallès, Granollers, Guissona, Lleida, Mollet del Vallès, Montmeló, el Papiol, Parets del Vallès, Reus, Sant Climent de Llobregat, Sant Fruitós de Bages, Santa Margarida de Montbui and Tortosa.

With the two resolutions, the stressed residential market area now covers 171 Catalan municipalities, among which Barcelona, l’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Badalona, Terrassa, Sabadell, Tarragona, Girona, Mataró, and Reus remain outside of this latter. For owners, the declaration limits the rent of new contracts; for tenants, it opens the door to reference prices in a context of sustained pressure on rent.

Fuente: Official Gazette of the Generalitat de Catalunya, no. 9775, October 19, 2026, Other provisions, pp. 1-3 (official reference: CVE-DOGC-A-26289080-2026).