Catalonia’s rental housing market came under severe pressure in 2025 as the imbalance between supply and demand deepened. According to several experts, little is expected to change in 2026. Limited supply, sustained demand and rising prices are set to persist in a market shaped by ongoing regulation, including the designation of high-demand areas.
While both domestic and international demand continue to grow steadily, rent control measures introduced by the authorities have not delivered the intended effect of curbing price increases. Instead, they have led many landlords to withdraw properties from the long-term rental market or shift them to seasonal lets, which are not subject to price caps in areas classified as stressed markets, says Xavier Aránega, partner at real estate firm Revel.
More or fewer rental contracts in 2026?
The expert broadly expects the situation in Catalonia’s rental market to show little improvement in 2026, “firstly because demand will continue to rise, and above all because no local or regional authority is developing a public housing stock capable of meeting market needs”.
As for whether more or fewer contracts will be signed next year, Aránega anticipates a slight increase in new rental agreements in Catalonia in 2026, although driven by mixed factors and varying dynamics.
“On the one hand, many contracts signed in 2021 will expire in 2026. This means a large number of households – more than 1.6 million across Spain, with Catalonia among the most affected regions – will need to renew their leases or find a new home, which could boost rental market activity,” he explains.
Moreover, although some recent figures point to a fall in the number of new contracts in 2025, this does not necessarily imply less overall market activity, the expert notes. Instead, it reflects the acute shortage of available supply and the growing difficulty households face in accessing homes through the traditional rental market.
Mercedes Blanco, CEO of Vecinos Felices and board member of COAPI (Col·legi d’Agents de la Propietat Immobiliària de Barcelona), warns that thousands of leases are expiring with no guarantee of renewal, as the designation of “stressed” areas has failed to contain rising demand. “Rent controls have had a limited impact,” Blanco says. “Many landlords choose not to renew contracts or to change the use of the property to sidestep restrictions. As a result, the structural issue – the lack of affordable housing – remains unresolved.”
She also cautions that a “wave of refurbishments” in 2026 could further tighten rental supply and push prices higher in major cities. “We are seeing owners who, once contracts end, decide to sell, repurpose the property or pass it on to a family member,” she explains, while noting that in many cases expiring leases are still renewed by mutual agreement.
Higher demand for rentals in 2026
According to the Revel expert, broader market forecasts suggest that demand will remain elevated due to the shortage of affordable housing and the limited supply available. This situation, he explains, “will continue to generate activity in the rental market, although it will not necessarily result in a net increase in traditional contracts if supply does not recover”.
In short, Aránega expects greater market movement in 2026, driven mainly by the renewal of expiring leases and sustained demand pressure. However, he cautions that this increased activity “will not necessarily translate into a significant rise in contracts, as supply is set to remain at historic lows”.
Rental prices in Catalonia will continue to rise in 2026
Blanco expects prices to continue rising, albeit at a slower pace than in 2025. “In 2026, we will see a more contained increase, but the situation will remain critical,” she says, noting that pressures will be uneven: major cities and coastal areas will remain far more strained than inland markets with greater available stock.
Revel also forecasts further rent increases in Catalonia and across Spain. “Average rents could rise by around 6.8% in 2026, following increases of almost 10% in 2025.”
While price caps in stressed areas, such as parts of Barcelona, may curb or even reduce rent locally, experts agree that, at a regional level, prices will continue to climb, albeit more moderately and with significant variations by location and policy.
Vecinos Felices is calling for more stable, predictable policies to boost supply, arguing that greater legal certainty for landlords and tenants is essential to bring quality housing back onto the market.
