Has the rent cap in tense areas stopped price increases? No, of course not. The latest data from the Housing Agency of Catalonia, which is based on deposits made to Incasòl, shows that in Catalonia the average rent price is already higher than before the cap came into effect, in the first quarter of 2024. In the city of Barcelona, the average price still does not exceed that of that moment, but throughout 2025 it has been rising and, if instead of the average price we look at the price per square meter, it already exceeds that of before the cap.

The average price per square meter for residential rent in Barcelona has been rising for five consecutive quarters and already exceeds 17 euros per square meter per month, the highest figure in the historical series. This is according to data published this weekend by the Government based on the deposits of rental guarantees for new residential rental contracts lodged with the Institut Català del Sòl (Incasòl) in the fourth quarter of 2025, as reported by Efe.

The rise in rental prices has slowed in Catalonia, and especially in the city of Barcelona, ​​over the last year and a half. However, the third quarter of last year saw a slight increase compared to the previous quarter—1.55% in Barcelona and 2.59% in Catalonia—and the number of rental contracts signed has decreased, according to data from the Catalan Housing Agency based on deposits held by Incasòl. This data indicates that in the third quarter of 2025, the average rental price in Barcelona city was €1,153.11, while the average rental price across Catalonia was €876.83.

The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs, and Agenda 2030 has launched an investigation to remove rental listings in designated high-demand areas that violate current consumer protection regulations, the ministry announced in a statement on Friday. "If we can prove the existence of deceptive or unfair practices, the ministry will act decisively," warned Social Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy (Sumar) at a press conference. Bustinduy declined to name the real estate portals under investigation but indicated they are "the largest." The targeted listings on major real estate portals will be those offering rental apartments at prices higher than those set by law for large landlords, or those that fail to include the price of the last lease agreement offered for the property, if the owners are private individuals, as required by law. In this regard, Bustinduy has once again demanded that the PP apply state regulations to the regions and cities it governs, which would entail the delimitation of high-demand areas. These advertisements, according to the ministry, could be considered violations of consumer regulations as "unfair and misleading practices" and, therefore, carry penalties. The Customer Service Law, which came into effect on December 27, requires real estate portals to publish information in online advertisements for properties located in high-demand areas that allows consumers to understand the parameters used to justify the asking price in accordance with these regulations. These parameters include the price of the last rental agreement under which the property was offered and the applicable rent index for large landlords. The Secretary General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling, Andrés Barragán, recently informed various real estate portals and associations by letter of the legislative changes approved in this law and their responsibilities as intermediaries between landlords and tenants.

The rental price has stood at 13.4 euros per square meter per month during the first quarter of the year in Catalonia, 8.2% less than the same period of 2020, according to the quarterly report of the real estate market of real estate agents (API). In comparison with the previous three months, the fall was 2.5% due to the increase in supply, above all due to the transfer to the residential market of flats that were rented for tourism or for students, according to Luis Fabra, author of the report.

Government aid on the occasion of the pandemic, such as furlough (ERTE) or state-backed loans for companies (ICO credits), have prevented an avalanche of supply in the housing market that would have sunk prices, according to Guifré Homedes, director general of Amat Real Estate. The company has presented this Monday its real estate report for 2020 and data for the first quarter of 2021.