Data from the Generalitat reveals that Sabadell and Terrassa have seen their rents increase by 7.2% and 4.7% respectively since the cap was implemented, while Barcelona and L'Hospitalet report declines.
The rental market in Sabadell has not followed the same trend as most major Catalan cities since the price cap was applied in March 2024. According to data published by the Housing Secretariat of the Generalitat, new rental contracts in the city have become 7.2% more expensive in the last two years, a trend that contrasts with the average in municipalities where the cap is enforced.
Across Catalunya, the average price of new contracts stands at 861 euros, 0.9% lower than in the first quarter of 2024, just before the measure came into effect. However, the reality varies significantly by municipality. While rents in Barcelona are 4.7% cheaper than before the cap and in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat they have dropped by 6.2%, in Sabadell and Terrassa prices have risen by 7.2% and 4.7%, respectively.
Badalona is the city that has recorded the largest increase among major Catalan populations: 11.4% more expensive than in 2024. In contrast, Girona and Lleida show moderate declines of 1.6% and 1.7%.
The rental cap, included in the state housing law and applied in Catalunya since March 2024, currently affects 271 municipalities, which account for 90% of the Catalan population. In these areas, average prices have decreased by 1.3% on average, considering the 100,000 annual contracts. In contrast, in municipalities without restrictions, rents have increased by 9.5% since the first quarter of 2024.
The divergence is also evident in year-on-year evolution. In regulated municipalities, prices have increased by 3.7% in the last year, while in unregulated areas the increase is 9.5%. These differences reflect that, although the cap has not contained prices everywhere, it has moderated growth compared to unrestricted areas.
In Sabadell, the 7.2% increase places the city among the exceptions within the group of pressured municipalities. Sources from the Generalitat indicate that each metropolitan area has its own market dynamics and that factors such as available supply or demand can explain these variations.
The analysis of the data also focuses on housing supply. Critics of the cap warn that price limitations discourage landlords from renting out their properties, which would reduce the available supply. However, overall data shows that around 100,000 contracts were signed annually in regulated municipalities, while in unregulated areas the figure is about 2,000 contracts per quarter, indicating very uneven activity.
For tenants in Sabadell, the 7.2% increase represents an additional burden in a context of moderate inflation. The CPI has fluctuated between 2% and 3% in the last year, meaning the rent increase more than doubles the general price rise. The Generalitat plans to conduct quarterly monitoring of the evolution and study possible adjustments in the delimitation of pressured areas.
Looking ahead, the Housing Secretariat insists that the cap is a useful tool for containing prices, but acknowledges that it is not the only variable. The construction of public housing and rental assistance remain the main pillars of housing policy in Catalunya. The next report, scheduled for the third quarter of 2026, will allow for an assessment of whether the trend in Sabadell consolidates or reverses.
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