Royal Decree-Law 29/2026 defines a large holder as someone who has more than ten residential properties or more than 1,500 square meters built for housing. In tense areas, the limit drops to five properties.
According to El Cronista, the Royal Decree-Law 29/2026, dated 6 October, modifies Law 12/2023 and changes the definition of a large holder of housing in Spain. The regulation was published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) on 7 October 2026, in its article 4.
According to article 3.k of Law 12/2023, in its current wording, a large holder is the individual or legal entity that owns more than ten urban properties for residential use or a constructed area exceeding 1,500 square meters intended for housing. Garages and storage rooms are not counted when calculating these limits.
The general threshold does not depend solely on the number of homes, as the constructed residential area also counts. An owner can fall under the definition by area or by the number of properties.
In areas declared as having a tense residential market, the limit can drop to five or more residential properties located in that area. To apply this, the autonomous community must justify this particularity in the corresponding report. Therefore, having five flats does not make anyone a large holder anywhere in Spain: it must be verified that the properties are within the tense area.
The regulation also requires proof of the status through a certification from the Land Registry that lists the properties registered in the name of the holder. Additionally, it modifies the Civil Procedure Law to include references to the status of large holder in certain judicial procedures related to housing.
To determine if an owner meets the requirements, it will be necessary to review the number of urban residential properties registered in their name, the constructed area intended for housing, and, if applicable, whether those properties are in an area declared as having a tense residential market.
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