Andorra PS Proposes Tenant Protections and Church Equality in Property Bill

The Social Democratic Party (PS) parliamentary group has submitted amendments to the property registry bill under debate in the General Council, seeking to enhance tenant safeguards, ensure equal treatment for all registrants including Catholic Church entities, and connect the system to rental data tools.

These proposals aim to make the registry more coherent, technically robust, and oriented toward public rights rather than solely property security. A key change would strengthen renters' legal standing by making registered lease contracts enforceable against future buyers for the full term, regardless of the seller's intentions. This evolves the registry into a tool that protects tenants alongside owners, as PS group president Susanna Vela noted.

The amendments would eliminate a special fast-track registration procedure in the original bill for Church bodies, applying uniform requirements and guarantees to every applicant. To support housing policy, they introduce interoperability with the Central Information Centre on Rentals (CICAR) and other public housing databases, providing better insights into Andorra's real estate landscape.

Affordability measures include legal caps on fees, reductions for first-time registrations and primary residences, and exemptions or rebates for low-income individuals. The PS stressed that property registration must serve as a legal protection, not an economic hurdle.

Additional reforms bolster procedural fairness: expanded third-party access to files, improved appeal rights against registrar denials—preventing loss of priority during reviews—and stricter rules on registrar impartiality, including mandatory recusals. The PS frames these as steps toward a transparent, accessible registry that prioritizes citizens' rights and general interest.

The bill, tabled by the governing majority, continues in parliamentary discussion.