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Royal Decree-law 21/2018
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LegislationES

Royal Decree-law 21/2018

Spanish housing and rental decree repealed after Congress rejected validation in January 2019.

Congress voted to repeal Royal Decree-law 21/2018 on 22 January 2019. Spain's December housing package had changed tenancy protection and rules for shared buildings.

Last refreshed: 22 October 2026

Key Question

What happened when Congress rejected Spain's 2018 rental decree?

Timeline for Royal Decree-law 21/2018

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Background

Royal Decree-law 21/2018 was Spain's urgent housing and rental package of 14 December 2018. Published on 18 December, it took effect the following day. It amended residential-tenancy law, rules for shared buildings, civil procedure and taxation. Its provisions extended mandatory tenancy renewal periods and addressed tourist accommodation, accessibility works and eviction proceedings involving vulnerable households. [Original decree](https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2018-17293).

Congress voted to repeal the decree on 22 January 2019. The repeal resolution appeared in the official gazette on 24 January, which the gazette records as the repeal date. Its legal history is therefore one of a short-lived housing Reform. A separate package, Royal Decree-law 7/2019, later secured parliamentary validation on 3 April 2019. [Repeal resolution](https://boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2019-799), [separate validation resolution](https://www.boe.es/buscar/DoC.php?id=BOE-A-2019-5325).

Common Questions

Reference

What was RDL 21/2018?
It was a Spanish decree-law containing urgent housing and rental measures, including amendments to tenancy and property legislation.Source: Boletín Oficial del Estado
What later housing decree secured parliamentary validation?
Royal Decree-law 7/2019 was validated on 3 April 2019. It was a separate instrument, not a later validation of RDL 21/2018.Source: Boletín Oficial del Estado
When was RDL 21/2018 repealed?
Congress voted to repeal it on 22 January 2019. The official repeal resolution was published and became effective on 24 January.Source: Boletín Oficial del Estado
Source Material
Resolution validating Royal Decree-law 7/2019Resolution recording repeal of Royal Decree-law 21/2018Royal Decree-law 21/2018 on housing and rental measures

Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.