The fine print of the €30,000 grant to buy a house
The aid will be for owners of protected housing who have signed a rent with an option to buy, and they will have to deduct it from the tenant.
BarcelonaThis Monday at noon, the media rushed to publish what Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had announced unexpectedly during an interparliamentary meeting of the Socialist group in Congress. It was another major housing announcement:aid for young people to access home ownershipBut how will it be structured? What will its scope be? What does the fine print say? Here's all we know.
What kind of homes will I be able to buy with this aid?
The aid, which aims to promote young people's access to home ownership, will allow only subsidized housing to be purchased permanently. Furthermore, these apartments must be classified as rental-with-buy homes. In Catalonia, none have been classified as rental-with-buy homes in the last 10 years, and in Spain as a whole, there have been approximately 2,292. In the same development, there could be apartments under this regime alongside others for rent or purchase only.
The vast majority of subsidized homes that have been built have been transferred to the open market because this regime expired over time. For example, in the last 45 years, more than 2.5 million subsidized homes have been built in Spain, and now only 300,000 remain.
How can I apply for it and when?
This aid is intended for individuals or legal entities selling permanently subsidized housing and who have formalized a rental or lease agreement with the option to purchase. This aid is not directly directed to the buyer, but rather to the owners of the homes, that is, to a public administration or subsidized housing development entity.
Thus, the seller will receive aid equivalent to the rent the tenant paid before exercising their right to purchase, with a limit of €28,800 per home, provided that the amounts paid by the tenant are deducted from the purchase price of the home.
The aid can be requested starting in 2026 because it is subject to the approval of the 2026-2030 State Housing Plan, which will be approved by the Council of Ministers during the second half of December. It will not require validation by Congress.
How will the purchase be made? Will I be able to sell the apartment?
If the tenant meets the requirements for this discount, such as being under 35 years old and not owning a home, among others, they will move into the rental property, and the monthly payments will be fully deducted from the final price once they exercise the purchase option. This option can be activated between the first and third year after the start of the contract.
The new owner will be able to sell the apartment, but its price will be permanently capped.
Will this drive up rental prices, as Sumar claims?
The second vice president of the Spanish government and leader of Sumar, Yolanda Díaz, criticized the announcement made by Spanish President Pedro Sánchez, believing that "it will only lead to further rent increases." Buyer aid runs the risk of being capitalized in the price, which entails a transfer of resources from the administration to sellers, especially in areas with restricted supply.
However, this measure is only aimed at protected rental housing, that is, with limited prices, so it will not impact its price. This is the main difference between the similar aid of up to 50,000 that the Government approved to purchase a home, which in this case can only be freehold, and will also be permanently protected.
What is the new State Housing Plan?
The new State Housing Plan 2026-2030 is the latest housing program presented by the Spanish government—the first linked to the housing law, approved in 2023—and plans to allocate more than €7 billion to expand the public housing stock over five years. It was presented by the Minister of Housing, Isabel Rodríguez, this week and has already begun the public consultation process. It also includes rent assistance of up to €300 per month for young people, a €10,800 grant for the purchase of homes in areas at demographic risk, and the youth guarantee to facilitate access to rental housing for young people.
These grants are subject to the collaboration of the autonomous communities, so they will only be implemented when there is an agreement on the minimum requirements proposed by the Spanish government at the Conference of Presidents; Each community will contribute 40% of the funding, guaranteeing the continued existence of the financed homes, and a commitment to share data and information.