Mónica Oltra set out her initial campaign priorities for the mayoralty on 30 September 2026 in Valencia . The candidate for Compromís called access to affordable housing “the city’s biggest problem” and announced that her first measure would be to apply for Valencia to be designated a zona de mercado residencial tensionado — in short, zona tensionada . She said the city would formally initiate the designation with the Generalitat Valenciana as soon as the legal requirements are met.
Oltra identified the revival and strengthening of the tanteo y retracto, the public right of first refusal and repurchase in property transactions, as a way to secure acquisitions for the municipal housing stock. She also aims to expand the city’s rental housing in a targeted way. Even households with supposedly “good” incomes are now struggling, she stressed. That is why a combination of legal intervention, public investment and stricter regulation of the most pressured market segments is needed.
On tourism, Oltra said that new licences for holiday apartments would not be renewed, or would be subject to much stricter conditions, to protect housing for local residents. The announcement builds on ongoing debates in Valencia: the city council has recently cracked down on illegal holiday rentals and already restricted the issue of new Tourist licences . There has also been public discussion about missed opportunities to use pre-emption rights that could have expanded the municipal housing stock.
Legally, designation as a zona tensionada is a matter for the Autonomous Communities; local authorities can submit applications and supporting arguments. Designation would give the city welfare and rent-policy tools, such as caps on rent increases in the area concerned. At the same time, it would bind the administration to procedural deadlines, requirements to provide reasons and possible judicial review. Oltra’s statements are political proposals, not measures already implemented; whether and when the Generalitat Valenciana approves an application depends on an assessment of the statutory criteria.
Oltra’s candidacy represents Compromís’s attempt to forge a broader left-wing alliance in Valencia. Her priorities include strengthening public services, climate action, better public transport and an active housing policy. The latest push for a zona tensionada is at the heart of her housing agenda.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).