INH Launches 24/7 Channels to Aid Tenants Pressured into Pre-Rent Thaw Contracts

The Institut de l’Habitatge (INH) and the government have ramped up efforts to advise tenants facing pressure from landlords to sign new rental contracts ahead of the impending rent thaw law. Starting Monday, new information channels—including a 24-hour chatbot phone line trained on the legislation, a WhatsApp service, and an FAQ section on the INH website—will provide guidance to affected renters.

INH director Marta Alberch has urged tenants in the Doctor Mitjavila street apartment blocks, and others nationwide, who have already signed such contracts under duress to consult specialised lawyers. The aim is to assess legal options for defending rights or challenging agreements deemed unfair. Multiple tenants have reached out to the institute by email and in person after receiving letters from owners proposing five-year deals with immediate, significant rent hikes to stay in their homes beyond next year.

Alberch stressed acting with caution and waiting for the law’s approval, expected after a Consell General vote on Thursday and signature by the Coprínceps. Contract validity will depend on factors like start dates—especially pre-2012—and rents per square metre above or below €6. New agreements ignoring current increase limits could prove legally invalid, the INH warned.

Housing Minister Conxita Marsol announced the new channels during parliamentary debate on the bill, echoing an earlier call from Head of Government Xavier Espot against rushing into signatures. The executive will not intervene to stop landlords sending these letters but emphasised that signed contracts would fall outside the new law’s restrictions.

Inquiries to the INH have surged from Mitjavila residents and other undisclosed buildings, plus tenants worried about impacts on existing leases. Complementary measures are anticipated to protect 2022 contracts expiring in 2027, which the current bill does not cover. Authorities have yet to specify details.