Bilbao's city council is asking the Basque Government to impose rent control across the city, aiming to mitigate affordability issues. This includes areas like Abando and Indautxu, initially considered exceptions due to high incomes.
While Abando has high rental costs (over €1,100/month), average household incomes are also significantly higher (€70,744/year, with €12,779 allocated to rent, representing 18% of income). Across Bilbao, the overall cost of housing as a percentage of income exceeds the 30% threshold set by the Housing Law for designating an area as 'tensionada' (tensioned).
A 2024 Basque Government report, using 2021 data, indicated that Bilbao households dedicate 31.5% of their income to housing. The city council now argues that this current market scenario—with average rents exceeding €930/month and low vacancy rates—creates difficulty for families to access housing.
Designating Bilbao as a 'tensionada' zone allows for rent control and mandates additional measures over three years. These include constructing more public housing and developing support systems for vulnerable groups to improve housing access.
Four other Basque municipalities—RenterĂa, Zumaia, Lasarte, and Barakaldo—have already implemented this rent control measure. Barakaldo is the first in Bizkaia to cap rental prices for three years.