Madrid Evicts 87-Year-Old Woman After 71 Years in Her Home—Even as a Donor Offered to Pay Her Rent
An 87-year-old woman has been evicted from the Madrid apartment where she had lived for 71 years, despite public protests and an offer from an anonymous donor to help cover her rent. Maricarmen Abascal was taken from the property on a stretcher and transported by ambulance on Wednesday, September 23, in a case that has become a flashpoint in Spain’s housing crisis.
The apartment’s owner, Urbagestión, sought a steep increase in rent after acquiring the property. Maricarmen’s monthly pension was €1,350, while the new rent demanded was €2,650—nearly twice her income. Her eviction went ahead after years of legal delays and repeated attempts to remove her.
The Rent Offer That Did Not Stop the Eviction
One of the most striking developments came shortly before the eviction, when an anonymous writer offered to help pay the rent so Maricarmen could remain in her home.
According to reporting by El País, the proposal was for Maricarmen to continue paying €500 a month, while the donor covered the difference up to the €2,650 demanded by the property owner. The offer also reportedly included taking responsibility for the outstanding rent debt.
The owner had not accepted the proposal by the time of the eviction. Reuters also reported that an anonymous individual had offered to cover most of the rent, but the landlord declined to sign a new lease.
The offer raised hopes of a last-minute agreement, but it did not prevent the removal from going ahead.
Why Her Rent Increased So Sharply
Maricarmen’s family first rented the apartment in 1956. Her father signed the original contract, and after his death the tenancy passed to her mother. Maricarmen became the tenant after her mother died in 2005.
The dispute centres on the legal status of that older rental agreement. El País reported that Spanish law limits how many times a tenancy of this kind can be transferred to another family member. Urbagestión argued that the contract could no longer continue under the old rent arrangement after the second transfer.
The property was acquired by Urbagestión in 2018. The company sought to raise the rent from €500 to €2,650 per month, an increase of 430% over the previous payment. The BBC reported that the proposed rent was later lowered to €1,650, but Maricarmen still could not afford it on her pension.
The conflicting figures reflect different stages of the dispute: the higher €2,650 demand was central to the final negotiations, while the BBC also reported a subsequent lower figure.
Four Attempts to Evict Her
Wednesday’s eviction followed several previous attempts that had been delayed or blocked through the courts.
Maricarmen’s lawyer, Beatriz Duro, told Reuters that court officials and representatives of the property owner had declined to suspend the eviction despite a pending court filing, humanitarian appeals and efforts by public authorities to find alternative accommodation.
The case had attracted growing attention from tenants’ groups and supporters. Activists gathered outside the building overnight, and hundreds of people assembled as the eviction approached. Demonstrators chanted “Maricarmen stays” and called for her to be allowed to remain in the apartment.
Police cordoned off the area and removed protesters who were blocking access to the building. The Guardian reported that officers used tear gas and baton charges during clashes with demonstrators.
Maricarmen Was Taken Away by Ambulance
The eviction was carried out on Wednesday morning. Reuters reported that Maricarmen was given 30 minutes to leave with essential belongings before being removed from the building on a stretcher and taken away in an ambulance accompanied by social services officials.
The scenes outside the apartment drew further attention to her circumstances and to the wider dispute over housing affordability in Spain.
Maricarmen had told reporters before the eviction: “I’ve lived here for 71 years and I don’t want to leave.”
UN and Government Appeals Failed to Halt the Removal
The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights had called for the eviction to be halted and for affordable alternative accommodation to be provided, according to the BBC.
Spain’s central government said it had repeatedly tried to negotiate with Urbagestión. The local government said it had offered Maricarmen a place in an elderly care home, but the BBC reported that she had declined that option.
The dispute also exposed differences over how Spain should respond to rising housing costs. The national government has backed stronger tenant protections and rent controls, while Madrid’s regional government has favoured a more market-oriented approach, Reuters reported.
A Personal Eviction in the Middle of a Wider Housing Crisis
Maricarmen’s case has become a highly visible example of the pressure facing long-term tenants in Spanish cities.
A shortage of affordable homes, rising rents and gentrification have intensified the housing debate. The BBC reported that rents in Madrid had increased by more than 100% over the previous decade, citing property website Idealista.
For supporters, the central issue is what happens when a long-term tenant can no longer afford a sharply increased rent and attempts to secure an alternative arrangement fail. The property owner’s position and the legal basis of the tenancy dispute remain part of the wider debate.
Maricarmen’s removal does not resolve those questions. It leaves a case that had already passed through years of legal proceedings as a prominent illustration of the conflict between property rights, tenant protections and access to affordable housing in Spain.
