Apart from the

dysfunctions in the supply and demand

in the rental market that are being detected in 60 Catalan municipalities -including Barcelona-, since the enactment on September 18 of a

law to limit the price of rental housing

, The two partners of the progressive coalition government -PSOE and Unidas Podemos-, maintain a dispute that seems more ideological than practical for the citizens. The effort of

Pablo Iglesias's

party to

apply in Esp

is not understood.

it adds formulas that have been a failure in European cities like Berlin, and that in Catalonia are already proven to be failed.

As we publish today, after six months of application of the regulations approved by the

Govern

The independentista, the people of Barcelona have seen how the supply of rental housing has been reduced by more than 10% in their city, while in Madrid, where only the laws of the free market operate, the offer has increased by almost 2% .

That is, those people who need to rent will have

fewer opportunities to choose and it will take much longer to find a home in Barcelona than in Madrid

.

For now, the demand for rentals has already increased by 7.2% in the county capital.

It doesn't take an expert in economics to understand that if homeowners cannot negotiate the price of their homes, many will prefer to keep them closed and off the market.

And even those who already have them rented will renounce making investments to improve habitability.

All the experts also agree on the possibility of creating an unregulated market in which

lessees and lessors reach agreements outside of any control

Catalan regulations have also introduced an element of

legal uncertainty in the market

, since some of its precepts are appealed for being allegedly unconstitutional.

Until the TC is pronounced, few investors will decide to bet on acquiring new homes for rent.

The Catalan experience shows that

good intentions are not enough

to solve the serious problem of housing in our country, but we must study realistic formulas,

without ideological earmuffs

.

To continue reading for free

Sign inSign up

Or

subscribe to Premium

and you will have access to all the web content of El Mundo

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more