The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030 has launched an investigation to detect and remove advertisements for rental properties located in areas declared to be under pressure that are being offered at prices higher than those legally established for large landlords, or that do not include the mandatory information on the price of the last rental contract in the case of private individuals. Such conduct could constitute a breach of consumer regulations, as it is considered unfair and misleading, and could result in penalties being imposed.
The Customer Service Act, approved by Congress on 11 December and published in the Official State Gazette on 27 December, establishes the obligation for real estate portals to include clear and accessible information in online advertisements for properties located in areas officially declared to be under pressure, enabling consumers to understand the criteria used to set the rent offered. This information includes, for example, the last rent paid under the previous contract in the case of private landlords or the applicable reference index in the case of large property owners.
In this context, the Secretary General for Consumer Affairs and Gaming, Andrés Barragán, has recently notified the main real estate portals and industry associations of the legislative changes introduced by the Customer Service Law, as well as their obligations as intermediaries between landlords and tenants.
The investigation was launched after detecting possible practices that may not be complying with the new transparency requirements for rental offers in areas declared to be under pressure.
Source of information: Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda 2030