The left-wing coalition Sumar has registered an initiative in the Spanish Congress aimed at legalizing the rental market, which provides for a ban on cash payments for rent and the transfer of payments to electronic, traceable channels, according to Spanish media reports.
According to the published details, payments are to be made by bank transfer or other electronic means, and financial institutions servicing such transactions will be required to automatically transfer information to the Spanish tax service (AEAT) to identify undeclared income and strengthen tenant protection by confirming payment with bank statements.
A separate element of the package is a 1% withholding from the rent amount, which the landlord will have to transfer to the AEAT on a monthly basis. The materials emphasize that this levy is also seen as a tool for forming a more accurate indicator of rental price dynamics across regions.
Sumar estimates the scale of tax losses from violations and evasion in the rental income segment at over €12.5 billion per year and proposes to strengthen the resources of the tax service, including the creation of specialized units to detect violations in the real estate market.
For banks, implementing this approach means an increase in the share of payments passing through accounts and, at the same time, an expansion of the role of compliance and data exchange with tax authorities. For the housing market, this could mean an acceleration of the “whitening” of rents and increased price transparency, but the parameters and timing will depend on the initiative passing through parliament.
In Spain, measures to tighten rules in the seasonal rental segment and prevent abuse are being discussed in parallel, with the government having previously announced the preparation of a corresponding package. For comparison, in Greece, a rule will be introduced on January 1, 2026, according to which rent must be paid through registered bank accounts, and cash payments will no longer be accepted.
In January 2026, Ukrzaliznytsia will raise prices for most types of rolling stock, with only the cost of transportation by grain carriers and container platforms remaining unchanged, corresponding to the December rates of UAH 1,250/day and UAH 203/day (excluding VAT), respectively.
According to the tariffs published on the company’s website, in January 2026, compared to December 2025, the cost of tank cars for transporting food products will increase from UAH 738/day to UAH 938/day (excluding VAT), mineral carriers – from 203 UAH/day to 450 UAH/day (excluding VAT), and semi-cars – from 1350 UAH/day to 1450 UAH/day (excluding VAT).
Ballast and cement tankers will increase in price by 100 UAH/day, to 703 UAH/day and 1,300 UAH/day (excluding VAT), respectively.
The cost of fitting platforms will also change: 40-foot platforms will increase from 750 UAH/day to 900 UAH/day (excluding VAT), 60-foot platforms — from 850 to 900 UAH/day, and 80-foot platforms will increase from 1250 to 1450 UAH/day (excluding VAT).
The cost of tanks for transporting liquefied gas will increase by 400 UAH to 603 UAH/day (excluding VAT) in January.
Only flatbed timber trucks will become cheaper by 200 UAH, to 1360 UAH/day (excluding VAT).
Fixed rental rates for shopping mall stores with an area of 50-200 square meters per year have increased by 1.3% to $22.4 in 2025 from $22.1 in 2024, the UTG press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
“Next year, we can expect a slight increase in rent of 2 to 5%, depending on the region. Further growth in shopping center maintenance costs (OPEX) and mandatory additional costs for uninterrupted power supply will undoubtedly increase the tenant’s overall costs. Currently, there are more significant factors that may influence further increases in rent payments. These include: growing demand among tenants to open stores for network development, a decrease in the supply of high-quality space, and the entry of new operators into Ukraine,” commented UTG Director Yevgeniya Loktionova.
She specified that among the factors stimulating the growth of rates, first of all, is the steady increase in demand for high-quality space from retailers.
According to UTG’s research, as of December 2025, the highest fixed rental rates were for kiosks (1-10 sq. m) – from $70 to $250 per sq. m/month (excluding VAT and EP), for fashion galleries – up to $32, fashion department stores – up to $18, grocery supermarkets, cafes, and restaurants – up to $15. (excluding VAT and EP), fashion galleries – up to $32, fashion department stores – up to $18, grocery supermarkets, cafes, restaurants – up to $15, electronics supermarkets – $8, children’s entertainment centers – $6, movie theaters – up to $6 per sq. m per month.
Overall, the market shows cautiously optimistic trends at the end of 2025. Average daily attendance is growing, although pre-war figures have not yet been restored. For example, the regional format is 680 people per 1,000 sq m GLA in 2025, compared to 660 in 2024 and 760 in 2021. The regional format is 318 in 2025, 308 in 2024, and 407 people per 1,000 sq m GLA in 2021.
As of December 2025, 12.8% of space in the capital’s shopping centers was vacant, compared to 13.1% in 2024 and a de facto vacancy rate of 21.4% at the end of 2022. According to UTG estimates, the temporary closure of the Gulliver shopping center had a minor short-term negative effect, with a de facto vacancy rate of 13%.
In terms of formats, the highest vacancy rate was in regional shopping centers – 14.9%, in district shopping centers – 13.9% of space was vacant, in specialized shopping centers – 10.1%, and in district shopping centers – 6.5%.
UTG was founded in 2001. It has developed over 1,300 real estate concepts. Over the years, the company has leased 4.7 million square meters of commercial space in Ukraine.
Average rent in London reached a record high of £2,736 ($3,648) per month in the third quarter, according to Rightmove.
In annual terms, the figure rose by 1.6%, the slowest rate since the second quarter of 2020.
Outside the British capital, the average rent increased by 3.1% year-on-year to £1,385.
The total number of real estate properties on the British rental market grew by 9% year-on-year, but is still 23% below pre-pandemic levels, according to Rightmove analysts. At the same time, demand from tenants also fell by 14% compared to last year.
http://relocation.com.ua/average-rent-in-london-reaches-record-high-of-2736/
The rental market in Budapest (Hungary) in 2025 is experiencing price increases and increased competition, especially in the central areas of the capital, according to analysts and realtors.
According to Global Property Guide, the average asking rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Budapest in 2025 is around HUF 264,000 (≈ USD 713) per month.
Rental rates are rising: in January 2025, asking prices in Budapest rose by 1.8% compared to the previous month, with annual growth of around 9.5%.
For two-bedroom apartments, rental prices in central areas in 2024 ranged from €1,000 to €1,500 per month.
However, in central Budapest (districts 5, 6, 7, 1), the rent for a one-bedroom apartment can be €800–1,500, and in residential areas or outer districts, €600–850.
The share of households living in rented accommodation in Budapest has increased from 12.7% to 17.5% in recent years. The growth is particularly noticeable among young people: a significant proportion of the 20-35 age group rent their accommodation.
The gross rental yield (before expenses) in Hungary is around 5.06% (2025, Q3).
Demand for rentals is growing faster than new housing is being built, especially apartment buildings in central areas, creating a shortage and pushing rents up. In addition, the debate over the regulation of short-term rentals (Airbnb and similar) is intensifying: one district of Budapest has voted to ban short-term rentals starting in 2026, which could affect the overall rental market.
Source: http://relocation.com.ua/budapest-rental-housing-market-analysis-by-relocation/
According to a recently published report by Deutsche Bank, the highest increase in rents for three-room apartments in European city centers between 2020 and 2025 was recorded in Southern and Eastern Europe, reaching 206%. These figures are from a study covering 67 cities worldwide, including 28 in Europe.
According to Eurostat, housing prices in the EU rose by 27.3% quarter-on-quarter (from Q1 2020 to Q1 2025), while rents rose by 12.5% between June 2020 and June 2025. However, growth exceeded the average in central city areas.
The most expensive and cheapest cities in 2025:
The highest rental growth (2020–2025):
Overall, the findings show that Southern and Eastern Europe have lost their relative affordability in terms of housing rentals, while the major financial and political centers of Western and Northern Europe remain the most expensive, but affordability in Eastern Europe is declining rapidly.
