The Parliament of Catalonia has approved a housing law that has been promoted by the pro-independence and common parties, which aims to regulate the price of rentals in areas of high demand and establish measures to guarantee the right to housing. This law aims to regulate the price of rentals in areas declared as tense housing markets, where demand exceeds supply and prices are very high. According to the law, landlords cannot raise the rental price above the benchmark rate that is calculated based on the location, size and characteristics of the home. It also establishes penalties for violators that can range from 3,000 to 90,000 euros.
It has been rejected by the opposition, which considers it unconstitutional, interventionist and ineffective. Since it invades the powers of the State in civil matters to regulate the contractual bases of rentals. It violates market freedom and the right to private property, and does not respect the principle of legal certainty or equality among citizens. For these reasons, it has announced that it will appeal the law before the Constitutional Court. In turn, the Parliament of Catalonia has announced that it will also present an appeal before the Constitutional Court, to defend its legislative autonomy and the validity of the law. The law will come into force within three months, but its application will depend on the outcome of judicial appeals and the availability of data on rental prices.
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