The Generalitat has extended the tense residential market zone for another year, increasing the number of municipalities from 271 to 302. 53 new towns are added while 22 are removed, including Lleida, Granollers, and Mollet del Vallès.
The Government has extended the declaration of the tense residential market zone (ZMRT) for another year, which will affect a total of 302 Catalan municipalities, 31 more than in the previous declaration. This was announced by the Generalitat in a statement on Tuesday, detailing that the measure includes 118 towns that were already on the previous list and still meet the affordability tension criteria, along with 53 new municipalities.
At the same time, 22 municipalities have been excluded from the declaration due to improvements in their situation thanks to rental price policies and other housing measures. Among these are Lleida, Granollers, and Mollet del Vallès. In total, the population residing in tense zones has decreased from 7 million to 6.1 million people.
The 118 municipalities that remain within the ZMRT have a combined population of 5,919,365, while the 53 new municipalities add up to 255,751 people. In contrast, the 22 municipalities that are removed from the declaration account for 634,171 citizens.
By territorial areas, the Girona regions incorporate the most new municipalities, with 16, followed by Central Catalonia (9), Camp de Tarragona (7), the Barcelona area and Penedès (6 each), Alt Pirineu i Aran and Lleida (4 each), and Terres de l’Ebre (1).
The declaration of a tense zone is part of the state Housing Law, which establishes a maximum validity period of three years for the first declaration. This period expires in March 2027. To extend the measure, the Generalitat must assess each year whether the municipalities continue to meet the market tension criteria.
The extension means that in the included municipalities, measures such as rental price limitations or the obligation to offer social rent under certain circumstances can continue to be applied. For property owners, this means they must comply with the reference indices established by the administration.
The Government highlights that the reduction in the number of inhabitants in tense zones is a positive indicator, as it shows that the applied policies are having an effect. However, they acknowledge that there is still work to be done to ensure access to affordable housing throughout the territory.
This decision directly affects the province of Barcelona, where many municipalities in the metropolitan area and the interior are still considered tense market zones. For residents of towns like Viladecans, which remains on the list, the extension means that rental prices will continue to be regulated and that they can access the aid and protective measures provided.
The next assessment, scheduled for a year from now, will determine whether new municipalities are added or removed from the declaration, depending on the evolution of the real estate market and the policies implemented.
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