Catalonia Expands and Adjusts Rent-Controlled Municipalities to 302

• The Catalan government has expanded its list of rent-controlled municipalities (ZMRT) from 271 to 302.
• Despite the increase in the number of designated municipalities, 22 areas—including Lleida, Granollers, and Mollet del Vallès—have been removed from the list due to improved market conditions resulting from rent caps and housing policies.
• The total number of people living in rent-controlled areas has decreased from 7 million to 6.1 million.

Changes in Designations

• Existing designations maintained: 118 municipalities, covering approximately 5.92 million people (72.9% of Catalonia's population).
• Newly designated areas: 53 municipalities, affecting 255,751 people.
• Removed designations: 22 municipalities, affecting 634,171 people who are no longer under rent caps.

Government Stance

• Housing Minister Sílvia Paneque stated that these figures demonstrate the efficacy of rent caps as a tool for curbing price hikes and making housing more affordable.