A total of 97,137 Canarians are in a state of uncertainty after several political parties expressed their rejection of the mandatory extension of rental contracts. This measure, which allowed for an extension of up to two years for leases signed since the beginning of the pandemic, aimed to limit rent reviews to a maximum of 2%.
Nationally, approximately 1.6 million tenants could be affected by this decision, facing the possibility that their landlords will update rents to market prices, far exceeding the limit established by the decree.
The data, provided by the Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and 2030 Agenda from the Household Panel, estimates that around 40,000 rental contracts in the Canary Islands are directly impacted by this situation. However, tenants who formally communicated their intention to take advantage of the extension to their landlords before the rejection in Congress may have consolidated their right.
“"Thousands of tenants rushed to send a burofax to their landlord demanding those two extra years as soon as the news broke on television. If they made that communication while the rule was active, the right is theirs."
The situation could lead to a high level of litigation, where the key will be proper communication to the landlord and the current status of the contract. The Urban Leases Law, approved at the end of last year, establishes an initial period of five years for individuals and seven for legal entities, with a three-year extension if there is no communication from either party.
The mandatory two-year extension was designed for all rentals whose termination fell between last March 21 and the last day of the year 2027.
