Madrid region buys 485 m2 luxury penthouse as temporary office for Ayuso, who denies personal use
The Madrid regional government purchased a 485 m² penthouse with a 200 m² terrace in the upscale Chamberí district for roughly €6 million, planning to use it as a provisional workspace while the presidential headquarters undergoes renovation starting in August 2026.
The Community of Madrid, led by president Isabel Díaz Ayuso, has bought a 486-square-metre luxury penthouse in the Chamberí neighbourhood. The property, acquired on 14 April 2026 through the public company Planifica Madrid, was revealed by El País on 29 July. It includes a 200‑square‑metre terrace and is meant to serve as a temporary office for Ayuso and a minimal team during the full refurbishment of the second floor of the Real Casa de Correos, the seat of the regional presidency. The purchase price was not disclosed but estimates place it around €6 million.
Regulatory hurdle
Urban planning regulations in Madrid classify the area under Zone 1, Grade 3, which forbids administrative offices or public-service uses above the ground or first floor. The penthouse, on the ninth floor, can legally be used only as a residence. After initial claims that it would be an “office,” Ayuso later said it would be for “professional meetings,” a description that still conflicts with the zoning ordinance. The city council’s General Urban Plan does not list this type of activity as permitted in the zone.
No es mi casa, no es mi residencia, no es para mí. No me estoy comprando nada, no se me está comprando nada.
Political backlash
Opposition parties demanded explanations. Más Madrid deputy Marta Carmona filed questions in the regional assembly, asking whether Ayuso plans to make “personal use” of the penthouse and why she needs it when she has an office at the Assembly or other government buildings. Sumar’s national spokesperson Verónica Barbero called the purchase “un poquito obsceno” against the backdrop of a housing-access crisis in Madrid, where thousands struggle to find affordable homes. Carmona also requested the appearance of the regional finance minister, Rocío Albert, to justify the acquisition.
La vivienda es un problema social inmenso en la Comunidad de Madrid. En Madrid lo es multiplicado.
Ayuso’s defence
Ayuso framed the reporting as part of a “discredit campaign” promoted by the central government and allied media. Speaking during an emergency meeting about wildfires in the region, she expressed frustration at having to address the issue while managing the crisis. She insisted the penthouse is a routine patrimonial operation by Planifica Madrid, which regularly buys and sells properties, and stated that it is not her residence nor will she have an official residence. She did not clarify who would move in, mentioning that the transport minister might be relocated there while she works from the transport department.
Previous controversies
The penthouse adds to a series of real-estate disputes linked to Ayuso. In 2011 she inherited a flat in Chamberí from her father while he was still alive and facing a debt to the regional government that could have led to seizure. Her partner, Alberto González Amador, purchased two luxury properties in the same district after alleged tax offences. The new acquisition sits a short distance from her family home and in the same district where she currently lives in another penthouse.
- Planifica Madrid acquires the 486 m² penthouse in Chamberí for an undisclosed sum.
- El País reveals the purchase; the property is intended as a temporary office for Ayuso during the Real Casa de Correos renovation.
- Sumar spokesperson Verónica Barbero criticizes the move as “obscene” amid Madrid’s housing crisis.
- Ayuso denies personal use, says the penthouse is for institutional meetings, and claims a discredit campaign is underway.
- ElDiario.es reports that zoning laws prohibit office use in the penthouse location.
- Renovation of the second floor of the Real Casa de Correos scheduled to begin; temporary relocation to the penthouse planned.
Ayuso maintains the move is temporary and linked to the renovation that begins in August; opposition groups keep pressing for full disclosure of the cost and the intended occupant.
