On 23 September 2026, an 87-year-old woman in Madrid, Spain, was forcibly evicted from an apartment where she lived for more than 70 years. This incident triggered massive protests in Madrid and pushed the housing crisis in Spain to the forefront. The protesters demanded that the Government restrict evictions and guarantee the right to housing, and the elderly subsequently returned to their homes following an agreement. Not only is the fate of an elderly person at stake, but it also reflects the persistent housing strain in the main cities of Spain: soaring rents, reduced affordable housing and inadequate protection of the rights and interests of long-term tenants.
The 87-year-old woman, Maria del Carmen Abbaskar, is commonly referred to as Mari Carmen. She moved into an apartment at 46 Arcade Saines de Baranda Street, Retiro District, Madrid, in 1956, when she was 17 years old. After she lived here 71 years, she was home. However, her residency rights were threatened with changes in property ownership and the rent system.
The expulsion process has undergone several attempts. According to various media reports, this was the fourth attempt at eviction. Prior to that, evictions had been delayed or unsuccessful on several occasions for various reasons. Until 23 September 2026, the court finally enforced the expulsion order. During the morning, hundreds of people gathered outside the entrance to the building to try to prevent the eviction and the police set up a cordon to prevent journalists and supporters from approaching. According to the representative office of the Government of Spain in Madrid, the protest was organized on the same day for some 10,000 participants.
During the execution of the expulsion, the police clashed with protesters who tried to prevent it. It was reported that tear gas was used by the police and that police officers forcibly removed some of the protesters from the entrance to the building, including by carrying their hands and feet. After approximately one hour of negotiations, lawyers and court officials in Mari Carmen confirmed that the expulsion would continue. The police then cleared the protesters at the scene.
Mari Carmen was given only 30 minutes to pack the necessities. As she was a wheelchair user and had difficulty in moving, she was eventually removed from the building by social workers and the police with a stretcher and taken away by an ambulance. Her lawyer, Beatris Duro, subsequently stated that the force used in the expulsion process was “totally disproportionate and unnecessary” and denounced the firmness of the property owners. Duro also referred to the refusal of court officials and the representative of the Investment Fund, Ulbahción, to suspend the eviction despite court documents, humanitarian appeals and evidence of efforts by public authorities to arrange alternative housing. Duro also indicated that an anonymous person had offered to pay rent.
This case of eviction raises widespread concern not only because the victim is a long-term tenant of old age, but also because of the legal threshold and the substantial increase in rents involved. Malian Carmen ' s apartment is located in the richest Retiro district of Madrid, which is also part of UNESCO ' s World Heritage Site, attracting significant investment and real estate development.
According to the judgement of the Spanish Supreme Court, the company Ulbahción was granted the right of expulsion. The sentence is based on the legal threshold relating to disability. The level of disability in Mali Carmen is recognized at 50 per cent, while the threshold for permanent protection of tenants ' rights is 65 per cent. This gap prevented her from adopting a disability protection clause to avoid deportation. The Spanish Supreme Court finally upheld the position of the real estate company Ulbachcion.
The issue of rent is at the heart of this conflict. Under the old system of regulated rents, Mali Carmen pays less than Euro500 per month. However, when Urbachcion acquired the apartment building, it was hoped that her rent would be substantially increased. It has been reported that the landlord initially raised the rent to Euro1650 and subsequently proposed an increase to Euro2650. In contrast, the Malian Carmen pension is only 1,000 euros per month. Such a large rent gap made it impossible for her to bear the new rent at all, thus placing her in a housing crisis.
Ulbahción is a Madrid limited liability company founded in 2005 and known as Ulbahessa. It operates on Sulbano Street and has two branches, each operating in Valladolid, with seven employees. The company claimed to be a small business rather than a large investment fund. However, its accounts and real estate strategy show a more complex picture. The company is active in real estate operations that generate income. The owners listed Ricardo Alonso Fernández and Fernando Alonso Fuentes et al. The company denied that it was a type of investor associated with a large real estate portfolio, but the case was often framed as a conflict between elderly tenants and such investors.
Following the expulsion of Mari Carmen, protests in Madrid escalated rapidly. On Saturday, 23 September, tens of thousands of people took to Madrid to protest evictions. The protesters made slogans such as “No more evictions, no less neighbours, we are all Malian Carmen”, “The right to housing at fair prices”. Some people also fired flares. The demonstration was organized by the Madrid Tenant Union through social media.
In addition to Madrid, protests spread to other Spanish cities. The tenant groups in the cities of Barcelona, Seville, Ávila, Cadiz, Palma, Toledo, Valencia, Guadalajara, Malaga and Oueva also called for action to stop evictions and resolve the housing crisis in Spain. Protesters shouted slogans such as “We are all Mari Carmen”, “Ayoso resigns” (means Isabel Díaz Ayoso, President of the Madrid region) and “Marikamen's penthouse”.
In the face of growing protests, the Prime Minister of Spain called on Parliament to support emergency housing measures. During the protests, the Prime Minister pledged to take action and requested Parliament to adopt relevant legislation to address the housing crisis as soon as possible. This statement was seen as a response by the Government to public sentiment and as a way of exerting pressure on the Madrid Regional Government and relevant institutions.
Malian Carmen ' s lawyers and supporters criticized the eviction for lack of humanitarian consideration. The Madrid Tenant Union published a video in social media expressing appreciation for Mali Carmen ' s support. According to the protesters, this incident is a microcosm of the housing crisis in Spain and reflects the structural problems of the shortage of affordable housing in the context of urbanization, soaring rents and the erosion of long-term tenants ' rights.
Mali Carmen was not homeless after the eviction. According to reports from Channel 24 in France, she was able to return home after reaching an agreement. The details of this agreement have not yet been fully disclosed, but it is certain that through the efforts of the parties she will eventually be able to return to her apartment. This result has somewhat eased public anger but has not resolved the underlying housing crisis.
The case of Mari Carmen was a landmark event in the housing crisis in Spain. Her experience has revealed the limitations of the Spanish housing protection system, especially the inadequate protection of elderly tenants and groups of persons with disabilities. The housing market in Spain ' s major cities has long been confronted with rent increases and reduced affordable housing, which has led to increased social and political tensions.
The incident was a warning for long-term tenants. As property is acquired by investment funds or companies, rents may be significantly increased, and the legal protection of tenants may not be adequate to cope with this change. In particular, tenants may be at risk of eviction when their degree of disability falls below the threshold of legal protection. Tenants need to know their rights, particularly how to assert their right of abode through legal means in the face of substantial rent increases.
For policymakers, the case of Malian Carmen highlighted the need for emergency housing measures. The Government of Spain needed to consider how to strengthen the protection of long-term tenants, particularly the elderly and disabled groups. At the same time, the Government needs to address the shortage of affordable housing and alleviate the housing crisis through measures such as increasing the supply of housing and controlling rent increases.
For investors and real estate companies, the incident also reminded them of the need to consider social implications and legal risks when acquiring property and raising rents. While they have the right to gain through market mechanisms, excessive rent increases can lead to social instability and legal disputes.
At present, Malian Carmen has returned home, but the housing crisis in Spain has not been completely resolved. The protests demonstrated strong public dissatisfaction with housing issues and the Government faced enormous pressure to act. Next, attention is drawn to whether the Spanish Parliament will adopt emergency housing measures and how they will be implemented. Specific effective dates, affected groups and exceptions will be key.
For tenants in Madrid and other Spanish cities, they need to follow closely the changes in the local housing policy and understand their rights and protection measures. In the event of a similar substantial increase in rent or threat of eviction, tenants should seek legal assistance to know whether the relevant protection provisions are applicable. At the same time, tenant groups can continue to organize protests and pressure the Government to put in place stronger housing protection policies.
For its part, the Spanish Government needs to move as soon as possible towards the adoption by Parliament of emergency housing measures, specifying their specific content, timing and scope. The Government also needs to strengthen regulation of housing companies and investment funds to prevent excessive rent increases from harming tenants. In addition, Governments should work to increase the supply of affordable housing and address the underlying housing shortage.
The case of Mari Carmen, although concluded with her return home, leaves much to be desired. The housing crisis in Spain was a structural problem that required long-term policy efforts and social consensus to be alleviated. This event will continue to be an important reference in the discussion of housing policy in Spain, prompting the Government and all sectors of society to rethink how to balance the right to housing with the right to housing.