The ruling Socialists’ junior coalition partner Sumar has put forward a new proposal which seeks to change the minimum requirements for rental properties in Spain and make air conditioning mandatory.
The hard-left party’s housing spokesperson, Alberto Ibáñez, explained that their main objective is to make it mandatory for all rental properties to have air conditioning systems installed.
Ibáñez argued that tenants need “adequate climate conditions” in their homes and that this measure is essential to prevent tenants from “sweltering in their homes”.
He described the current situation faced by many citizens, especially in large cities, as “inhumane and indecent”.
READ ALSO: What to know before installing an air-conditioner in your home in Spain
Ibáñez went on to add that it is unacceptable that in a country where landlords receive rents of between €2,000 and €3,000 per month for homes “inherited from their grandparents,” residents are forced to endure sizzling temperatures with little more than a “standing fan”.
“Decent air conditioning” is a basic habitability requirement in this current climate, he concluded, saying that he doesn’t believe there should be any opposition to the measure.
The proposal is in response to the severity of the climate crisis in Spain in recent years with heatwaves beginning earlier and lasting longer.
READ ALSO: Why this summer in Spain is expected to be even hotter than usual
Ibáñez warned that the current heat is not a “normal” phenomenon and recalled that Europe has recently experienced one of its hottest months on record.
This will likely be one of the the “least hot summers in memory”, he warned, in allusion to summer temperatures rising year on year, while he urged the government to legally adapt housing and protect public health.
The first six months of 2026 were the hottest ever recorded in Spain according to national weather agency Aemet, and the first half of this summer has also been the hottest since records began in 1961.
Aemet has stated that the seven hottest first half-years of the series (starting in 1961) have occurred in the last ten years.
Data from the Living Conditions Survey published by Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) has revealed that over a quarter of families in Spain struggle to heat their homes sufficiently in winter and that a third are too hot in summer.
The percentage of households struggling to keep their homes cool enough during the summer months rose from a quarter (24.8 percent) in 2012 to over a third (33.6) in 2023.
READ ALSO: Too hot or too cold – Spain’s homes struggle to keep comfortable temperatures
There is some discrepancy about how many homes in Spain actually currently have air conditioning.
According to property portal Idealista, 41 percent of homes have aire acondicionado, but a study by Samsung Climate Solutions shows that three out of every four homes in Spain have air conditioning.
Idealista says that air-con units are most common in homes in Seville, Córdoba and Valencia. This makes sense given that Seville and Córdoba regularly experience the hottest temperatures in the country.
Comparison website Kelisto reveals that in Seville 75 percent of homes on the market have air conditioning, and in Córdoba, the figure is 70 percent. They are followed by Valencia and Jaén, both with 66 percent, and Palma and Madrid, with 65 percent.
Other cities where more than half of the housing stock already has air-conditioning is Toledo (61 percent), Alicante (59 percent), Barcelona (58 percent), Málaga (58 percent), Murcia (55 percent), Badajoz (53 percent), Almería (53 percent), Melilla (51 percent), and Ciudad Real (50 percent).
In northern cities, however, such as Burgos, Lugo, Oviedo, Soria, and Santander less than one percent have air conditioning.
There are lots of questions to consider before Sumar’s proposal could be approved, and legislation that may need to change.
Currently, on certain properties in some towns and cities in Spain, installing units on façades is not allowed as it negative impacts the aesthetics of the building. In that case, landlords may be faced with trying to install units on back walls or systems without an external unit.
Homeowner’s associations also have rules on whether or not aircon can be installed on a building’s façade or in other common areas, so these may have to change too.
READ ALSO: How to get up to €5,000 in aid to install air conditioning in your property in Spain
Installing air conditioning will also significantly increase costs for landlords. According to Clima Mania website, the average cost of installing an air conditioner in Spain in 2026 varies between €1,800 and €3,500 depending on the size and number of units needed and how many rooms it needs to cool.
It’s unclear yet if properties will have to have aircon installed in all rooms of the home or just certain rooms such as just bedrooms.
Some regions in Spain currently have grants and subsidies for installing aircon in homes including Madrid, Catalonia, Andalusia and Valencia. Will all regions be required to offer these subsidies if the proposal is approved and goes ahead?
