The government begins fining landlords who violate housing laws

BarcelonaThis was the condition that Comuns had set for budget negotiations, and on Tuesday it was met: the Catalan government has begun sanctioning landlords for violating housing law in Catalonia. This was announced at a press conference by the leader of Comuns in the Catalan Parliament, Jéssica Albiach, after a meeting with the executive branch at the Palau de la Generalitat to assess the degree of compliance with the agreements they signed. in springAccording to Albiach, the fines total up to €120,000 and have also been levied against real estate agencies. In a statement, the Catalan Government confirmed that 13 sanctioning proceedings are underway: 7 are being handled by the Catalan Consumer Agency and 6 by the Housing Agency. The Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque, confirmed that they affect both individuals and legal entities. This first round of sanctions comes just over a year after the sanctioning regime of the housing law was approved. Besides the cases currently being fined, there are another 132 in the preliminary investigation phase: 77 handled by the Housing Agency and 55 by the Consumer Agency. In addition, 26 cases have been closed because they "did not fall under the provisions of the law." The 13 open cases are at various stages. Two serious fines totaling €27,000 have already been imposed: one for raising rent without justification, and the other for a property manager signing documents as a registered professional without actually being one. Another case is underway for a serious infraction: failing to include information on the reference index and energy efficiency label. The fine could reach €25,000, but the final amount is yet to be determined. Four other cases have been opened for failing to disclose the reference price in advertisements for homes located in high-demand areas. Of these four, one resulted in a €1,750 fine, which has already been paid, while the remaining three could carry fines of up to €10,000. All of these cases involve the Consumer Protection Agency. Regarding the Housing Department, there are two cases with fines of €30,000, two with fines of €3,000, and two others "pending determination," according to the Government. One of the tools that should help Territori to control compliance with the law is the register of large holderswhich is also agreed upon with Comuns, but has been delayed again due to new modifications introduced by the Government during the public consultation phase. It should have been approved in November and still has no date.

Romero: "We continue working"

"We have forced the first sanctions against those who commit fraud against the right to housing," said Albiach, who argued that Catalonia should at least have a budget this legislative term. This Thursday, the Comuns party will hold an extraordinary executive meeting to establish the main points of the negotiations, which they believe could be "short" if the government "takes a positive stance." They have already outlined some key points, such as limiting speculative housing purchases. who are studying in a group of experts shared with the Generalitat. Albiach confirmed that issues such as housing and public services will be central to the discussions, but so will commuter rail.

Does the rail crisis affect the relationship between the Commons and the Government? Although the party escalated its rhetoric against the Catalan government on Monday, Albiach has stated that they will not demand political "accountability" until the train crisis is over, which saw another service strike on Tuesday. However, she reiterated her suggestion that perhaps the Minister of Territory, Silvia Paneque, is burdened with too many responsibilities. She is not only in charge of the commuter rail network, but also of housing and the rollout of renewable energy, in addition to serving as the Government spokesperson. This opinion was also conveyed on Tuesday to the Minister of Economy, Alícia Romero, who chaired the follow-up meeting on behalf of the executive. Among the agreements already reached, Albiach highlighted the increased resources for inclusive education and the initial steps in deploying school cafeterias in high- and high-complexity secondary schools. She also welcomed the improvement in waiting lists for breast reconstruction and the €10 million increase in mental health funding. In addition to Comuns, the Government also needs ERC to approve the budget. At this point, the main obstacle is negotiation. to unblock the collection of personal income tax from Catalonia, which is being cooked up in Madrid. Romero acknowledged that the Republicans need "guarantees," and reminded them that there are pending "legal modifications" to be able to implement the commitments regarding the Catalan Treasury. which is already shaping up to extend beyond 2028At a press conference, Ester Capella, spokesperson for ERC in the Catalan Parliament, demanded that the Spanish government "take action" on this issue.