Housing Syndicate Slams Andorra Rent Deregulation as 'Expulsion Law,' Threatens Mass Protests

The Housing Syndicate has escalated its opposition to the government's proposed housing deregulation bill, labelling it a "Law of Programmed Expulsion" and warning of mass mobilisations if it advances unchanged. In a detailed counterproposal document, the group—formerly the Coordinadora per l'Habitatge Digne—rejects the plan to progressively lift rent controls on around 20,000 to 25,000 existing contracts between 2027 and 2030, arguing it will trigger rent hikes, evictions, and population displacement affecting up to 49% of residents, or roughly 43,800 people.

The syndicate contends the timeline merely delays liberalisation without addressing core issues like power imbalances between landlords and tenants. It highlights government estimates of a 47% rent increase for a typical 70m² apartment by 2032—from €525 to €772 monthly—outpacing wage growth. Exemptions for post-2022 contracts and those over €2,500 are seen as loopholes encouraging evasion, while the lack of a public property registry or updated housing census hinders oversight.

In response, the group demands indefinite contracts as the default for rentals ending from January 2027, with rent adjustments tied to a Reference Price Index based on property value, habitability standards, and local purchasing power. Evictions—overt or "silent," where tenants leave under pressure—should be banned without an affordable alternative in Andorra. Other measures include mandatory mediation and arbitration, limits on room rentals and overcrowding, verified cost pass-throughs for improvements, harsher penalties for fraud like the "child trap," and mobilisation of vacant housing.

The syndicate has called a rally for Tuesday, April 7, at 7:30 pm in Plaça del Consell General to voice dissent ahead of the April 8 amendment and approval deadline. "We do not want indefinite extensions but protective conditions safeguarding all renters," it stated online, urging participation to highlight these alternatives.

Talks with the government are considered exhausted, with the group vowing "wide, sustained, and massive" street action, including solidarity networks, if demands go unmet. It accuses the bill of favouring real estate interests over civil rights like good faith contracting and social cohesion.