The town councils of Figueres and Banyoles have expressed their satisfaction at leaving tense market zones behind, a development they anticipate will lead to a "freer and less restricted" rental market. Both cities hope this new situation will encourage more property owners to put their homes on the market, as a significant shortage of rental housing persists.
The capitals of Pla de l'Estany and Alt Empordà are the largest towns in Girona to have changed classification. Despite the celebration, the town councils of Banyoles and Figueres urge caution. The mayor of Banyoles, Miquel Noguer, stated, "Now we must see how it evolves and hope that there will be more rental housing and that owners will choose to put it on the market." Similarly, Figueres's housing councillor, Núria Bartolí, has advocated for collaboration between administrations and private entities to offer "more legal security" to landlords.
Both Noguer and Bartolí agree on the need to increase the housing stock. Despite exiting tense market zones, the reality is that "there is still a significant shortage of rental housing," a situation that "obviously concerns" the municipalities. In Figueres, paradoxically, rental prices had risen despite leaving the tense market zone, which Bartolí attributes to the city "not having very high prices" previously. She is confident that the new situation will not lead to increased costs, as an increase in supply is expected.
For his part, Noguer emphasizes the importance of "maintaining responsibility" to avoid re-entering the tense market zone, recalling that the parameters determining this classification depend on external factors such as decisions by the European Central Bank or Spanish government measures on the CPI.
In El Port de la Selva, the real estate sector views the measure with concern. Josep Carbonés, owner of Agència Port de la Selva, predicts that the regulation will "stabilize" prices but could lead to a shift from long-term rentals to seasonal rentals, given the high demand for second homes. According to Carbonés, there is more demand for seasonal rentals than for year-round ones, and properties for the entire year are being "placed" without issues. He admits that municipal planning favors single-family homes more and believes the measure will not solve the problem, calling for more public housing construction. He also notes that the regulation of HUTs (tourist use housing), planned for 2028, will exacerbate the issue.
From the College of Real Estate Agents (API) of Girona, president Joan Company celebrates Figueres and Banyoles exiting the tense market, questioning why cities with prices below the Catalan average were included. He anticipates an increase in the rental stock and calls for "more rigorous" criteria for setting the regulations for entering and exiting these zones.
