BuySellBA
Administrator
Renters forever: a report says that 80% will not inherit a home that allows them to leave renting - La Nacion Propiedades
Source:
www.lanacion.com.ar
December 09, 2025
Economic hardship and wealth inequality lie behind a group that has continued to grow and has now become street vendors.
Paying rent places a huge burden on tenants' finances. Freepik
Renting is a decision many people make because they have no other option. Buying a house is a huge investment that also requires savings to cover at least the down payment, as well as sufficient financial stability to secure a mortgage. Therefore, those who choose renting as their only possible solution, given their circumstances, unwittingly begin to create a social divide with those who have the means to become homeowners. In fact, eight out of ten renters have accepted that they will never leave this situation , since they don't expect to inherit a property, their only chance of becoming homeowners, according to a study published by the Barcelona Institute for Urban Research (IDRA), a group of experts that seeks to promote social and ecological justice.
The number of renters has reached extremely high levels in various cities around the world so far this century. While in Spain this market currently represents only 10% of the total housing stock—the aspiration to become a homeowner is more deeply rooted than in other countries—in cities like Lisbon and Buenos Aires , which, along with Madrid and Barcelona , are also the focus of the IDRA study, the percentage has skyrocketed.
In the city of Buenos Aires, the percentage of renters has tripled since 2001.Photo by Khay Edwards on Unsplash
While in the Argentine capital the percentage of renters has tripled since 2001, in the Portuguese capital the renter population grew in 2021 for the first time since 1960. Regarding Madrid and Barcelona, the text points out that they “experienced an accelerated increase since 2007”, with Barcelona being the city with the highest proportion of renters .
These sustained increases over time have shaped the contours of different societies. The study, whose results are drawn from surveys of tenants in these four cities, states that the data “ demonstrate that the housing crisis is not a problem specific to one country, and that it is not simply a matter of a lack of supply .” It emphasizes that “more and more people are living in rented accommodation, and they are doing so under conditions marked by housing insecurity, economic hardship, and wealth inequality.”
Being a renter is often a necessary decision for those who want to become independent. However, it's a potentially precarious situation. According to the study, between 30% and 44% of those who have recently moved did so out of necessity , either because they couldn't afford rising prices or because their contracts had expired. Furthermore, around a third of them believe they will have to move again within the next year, even though six out of ten have been in their current home for less than five years (the guaranteed duration of a standard residential rental contract in Spain).
“ The rental market is a source of urban inequality . The expansion of renting as a means of accessing housing, without adequate protections, has deepened social inequalities and left many tenants in a vulnerable position,” warns the text, signed by researchers Marta Ill-Raga, Pablo Pérez, and Jaime Palomera.
The study also notes that the increased uncertainty and this cocktail of housing insecurity are further exacerbated by the fact that rent payments represent a significant financial burden for tenants . In Madrid, the average financial burden rose from 42% for contracts signed before 2018 to 53% for contracts signed in 2023; while in Barcelona the increase is more moderate, rising from 52% for contracts signed in 2017 or earlier to 56% for those signed in 2022.
Experts point to the limited supply of rental housing as one of the problems in the Spanish real estate market.Getty Images
This effort is also necessary for them to remain in homes where, eight out of ten, they report significant deficiencies . The main problems reported by tenants are related to poor thermal and acoustic insulation, lack of heating, and the need for renovation of the extremely aging housing stock.
A key factor perpetuating inequality for many tenants is the fact that the subsidized housing market (affordable rental housing) is a very small minority in cities like Madrid and Barcelona (representing 7% and 9% of the total, respectively). “This trend is driven by the planned expiration of old rent-controlled contracts,” the text emphasizes, also noting that income instability and unemployment are the other factors hindering access to rental housing for this group.
As recommendations to reverse this situation, the authors of the text call for greater protection of tenants through various measures: introducing contracts without a predefined end date, which last as long as the tenant fulfills their obligations; prohibiting the speculative purchase of housing for investment; progressively taxing the ownership of real estate assets and property; expanding the supply of public housing for rent in perpetuity; prohibiting the granting of licenses for tourist rentals ; or imposing taxes on vacant homes.
www.buysellba.com
Source:
Inquilinos para siempre: un informe asegura que el 80% no heredará una vivienda que le permita abandonar el alquiler
La precariedad económica y la desigualdad patrimonial se esconden detrás de un colectivo que no ha parado de crecer y que hoy se ha convertido en ambulante
www.lanacion.com.ar
December 09, 2025
Economic hardship and wealth inequality lie behind a group that has continued to grow and has now become street vendors.
Paying rent places a huge burden on tenants' finances. Freepik
Renting is a decision many people make because they have no other option. Buying a house is a huge investment that also requires savings to cover at least the down payment, as well as sufficient financial stability to secure a mortgage. Therefore, those who choose renting as their only possible solution, given their circumstances, unwittingly begin to create a social divide with those who have the means to become homeowners. In fact, eight out of ten renters have accepted that they will never leave this situation , since they don't expect to inherit a property, their only chance of becoming homeowners, according to a study published by the Barcelona Institute for Urban Research (IDRA), a group of experts that seeks to promote social and ecological justice.
The number of renters has reached extremely high levels in various cities around the world so far this century. While in Spain this market currently represents only 10% of the total housing stock—the aspiration to become a homeowner is more deeply rooted than in other countries—in cities like Lisbon and Buenos Aires , which, along with Madrid and Barcelona , are also the focus of the IDRA study, the percentage has skyrocketed.
In the city of Buenos Aires, the percentage of renters has tripled since 2001.Photo by Khay Edwards on Unsplash
While in the Argentine capital the percentage of renters has tripled since 2001, in the Portuguese capital the renter population grew in 2021 for the first time since 1960. Regarding Madrid and Barcelona, the text points out that they “experienced an accelerated increase since 2007”, with Barcelona being the city with the highest proportion of renters .
These sustained increases over time have shaped the contours of different societies. The study, whose results are drawn from surveys of tenants in these four cities, states that the data “ demonstrate that the housing crisis is not a problem specific to one country, and that it is not simply a matter of a lack of supply .” It emphasizes that “more and more people are living in rented accommodation, and they are doing so under conditions marked by housing insecurity, economic hardship, and wealth inequality.”
Being a renter is often a necessary decision for those who want to become independent. However, it's a potentially precarious situation. According to the study, between 30% and 44% of those who have recently moved did so out of necessity , either because they couldn't afford rising prices or because their contracts had expired. Furthermore, around a third of them believe they will have to move again within the next year, even though six out of ten have been in their current home for less than five years (the guaranteed duration of a standard residential rental contract in Spain).
“ The rental market is a source of urban inequality . The expansion of renting as a means of accessing housing, without adequate protections, has deepened social inequalities and left many tenants in a vulnerable position,” warns the text, signed by researchers Marta Ill-Raga, Pablo Pérez, and Jaime Palomera.
Greater load
This constant moving between different homes, distressing in itself, is compounded by the fact that finding a new place is no easy task either. In Barcelona and Madrid, 42.18% of tenants acknowledge having encountered barriers to renting , significantly lower than in Buenos Aires (76%) , although double the figures for Lisbon, where the difficulties are less pronounced, with only 17% of tenants experiencing barriers.The study also notes that the increased uncertainty and this cocktail of housing insecurity are further exacerbated by the fact that rent payments represent a significant financial burden for tenants . In Madrid, the average financial burden rose from 42% for contracts signed before 2018 to 53% for contracts signed in 2023; while in Barcelona the increase is more moderate, rising from 52% for contracts signed in 2017 or earlier to 56% for those signed in 2022.
Experts point to the limited supply of rental housing as one of the problems in the Spanish real estate market.Getty Images
This effort is also necessary for them to remain in homes where, eight out of ten, they report significant deficiencies . The main problems reported by tenants are related to poor thermal and acoustic insulation, lack of heating, and the need for renovation of the extremely aging housing stock.
A key factor perpetuating inequality for many tenants is the fact that the subsidized housing market (affordable rental housing) is a very small minority in cities like Madrid and Barcelona (representing 7% and 9% of the total, respectively). “This trend is driven by the planned expiration of old rent-controlled contracts,” the text emphasizes, also noting that income instability and unemployment are the other factors hindering access to rental housing for this group.
Opacity
Another key finding of the study is the lack of transparency surrounding landlords for tenants. In Barcelona, 17% don't know who their landlord is, compared to 8.2% in Madrid. Furthermore, in both cities, tenants who deal with a real estate agency have even less knowledge about who the landlord is (24.1% in Barcelona, 18.8% in Madrid). “ Tenants whose relationship is mediated by a real estate agency have lower housing satisfaction ; they suffer more abuse, higher rent increases, greater discrimination in access, and a greater sense of residential instability,” the report emphasizes.As recommendations to reverse this situation, the authors of the text call for greater protection of tenants through various measures: introducing contracts without a predefined end date, which last as long as the tenant fulfills their obligations; prohibiting the speculative purchase of housing for investment; progressively taxing the ownership of real estate assets and property; expanding the supply of public housing for rent in perpetuity; prohibiting the granting of licenses for tourist rentals ; or imposing taxes on vacant homes.
www.buysellba.com
