Between 1911 and 1939, three cheap house laws were approved with their respective regulations. The First Cheap Houses Law was approved on July 12, 1911, the Second Cheap Houses Law was approved on December 10, 1921 and the Third Cheap Houses Law on October 10, 1924. They were under the jurisdiction of the Institute of Social Reforms, and after the reform of the General Directorate of Labor in 1920 they began to have their own section focused on cheap houses under the address of the Cheap and Economical Houses Service.[8]​[1]​.

The first Cheap Houses Law was approved in 1911 and its objective was to promote the construction of single-family or collective homes with independent rooms. It was designed to benefit the salaried working class, as well as people who received “(...) pensions for services provided to the State, the province, the municipality, or individuals.” This second meaning in the long run, and especially after the third law and its modifications, opened the doors to the construction of housing also intended for officials, the military or the middle class.[1]​.

This law was expanded with a regulation in 1912 that regulated, among other things, the maximum income that the person who requested the house should obtain, the hygienic-sanitary requirements and the quality of the construction, the minimum height of the ceilings or its use (housing or industrial in some cases).

In 1921 the law was expanded and two complementary regulations were subsequently approved in 1921 and 1922;[9]​ during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera in 1925 it was extended to the middle class by royal decree. In 1927 it was also extended to civil servants and in 1928 to the military.[3] In addition to requiring a stable job and a minimum income to access a cheap house, the regulations that regulated the construction coefficients of this type of housing made the costs too high to be assumed by the most disadvantaged classes, which led to subsidized housing being built at prices that only middle-class families could afford. accommodated.[9][7]​.

At an economic level, the cheap house laws applied to real estate developers "Promoter (building agent)", housing cooperatives, savings banks, montes de pieta or any private developer exemptions from property rights, property transfer taxes, stamp duty and contributory taxes at the state and municipal level for 20 years. It also facilitated access to credit authorizations and free services in courts, tribunals or the property registry. A state budget item dedicated to the allocation of credit was designated and the transfer of public land was regulated. For this purpose, an attempt was made in 1928 to centralize public resources through the Fund for the Promotion of Small Property and the Board of Social Real Estate Policy, which did not work because the resources were much lower than the demand.[1]​ A quarter of the financial aid was reserved for cooperatives.[2]​.

The town councils that had neighborhoods of cheap houses had to establish a type of organization called local boards for the promotion and improvement of cheap rooms (or local boards of cheap houses) with the aim of promoting the projects among working-class families and controlling the execution of the works. Once the homes were built and awarded, these organizations had the intention of preventing immoral behavior from occurring in the buildings, avoiding alcoholic beverages, subletting or associations, among other things.[3] These boards had a conservative character due to the nature of their members since of the nine, five were appointed by the governor (an architect, a doctor and a councilor at the proposal of the Consistory and two members at their free election), and another two had to be from the group of fifty largest taxpayers of the municipality. The remaining two positions were occupied by tenants. Starting with the second Cheap Houses Law, the structure of joint wings was changed, and they were formed with the mayor, the municipal inspector, a councilor, the municipal architect, a lawyer, a member of the governor, two representatives of the construction companies and two members of the tenants.[1]​.

At an architectural level, the cheap houses were inspired by the rationalist movement "Rationalism (architecture)"), led by movements such as the German new objectivity "New objectivity (architecture)") and represented in Spain by the generation of '25; and by concepts such as existenzminimum (minimum desirable comfort), although this concept was not included in a Spanish Law until the revision of the Official Protection Housing Law "Official protection housing (Spain)") of 1976. "La Regalada" Retreat (1925-1932); and the "Primo de Rivera" and the "Jardín Municipal" in Chamartín.[12]​.

The quality of the buildings could vary enormously, depending on the developer or the locality. In the Basque Country, the houses had better construction quality because one of the requirements established by law was that construction materials be obtained locally. On the other hand, the fact that the houses could be acquired by officials or the military meant that many of the homes had a higher quality than initially anticipated. Starting with the 1924 law, cheap houses were divided into five categories. The lowest ones were called ultra-cheap or popular houses, intended for the lowest incomes, the cheap houses and above all the economic houses were designed for the middle class, the houses for officials, built only in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​and finally the houses for the military.[2]​.

Workers, often organized into housing cooperatives to facilitate construction and purchase through credit, had the option of participating in construction to reduce costs. Groups of houses of different types were built, the most common being two-story family homes, located in low-density housing estates such as in Cartagena or Bilbao, although in some cases it was decided to build cheap houses of higher height as in some developments in Barakaldo.[13] Another strategy used to reduce construction costs was to lower the height of the ceilings to 2.60, 2.50 and even 2.40 meters high, since according to the regulations of the time they often reached 3 meters or more for reasons of hygiene and ventilation.[11]​.

The number of rooms was designed to facilitate the separation between parents and children, and sometimes the separation between boys and girls. They began to design the rooms to enhance ventilation, and had innovations such as built-in wardrobes, a sink and toilet inside the house, and sometimes a shower or bathtub, although the lack of an efficient sewage system meant that it was often unusable, especially in the early years. The lack of urban structures such as sewage, paved streets, public lighting or common spaces such as gardens was common in this type of housing estates, located on the outskirts of cities and in areas with difficult access.[11]​[14]​.

The urbanization of the land intended for the construction of housing groups of cheap houses had to be carried out by the town councils, which in turn had to facilitate the allocation of land for this purpose, whether public or private.[2]​.

The scope of these laws was relatively moderate. Between 1921 and 1924, around 1,290 homes were built, mainly in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Seville. The Levante area was especially prolific in cheap houses. The municipalities where cheap houses were built the most were those of large cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Zaragoza or Valencia, although in smaller municipalities there was also some activity such as in Azcoitia (99 homes), Burgos (236), Gijón, León or Mieres.[2]​.

Between 1911 and 1939, three cheap house laws were approved with their respective regulations. The First Cheap Houses Law was approved on July 12, 1911, the Second Cheap Houses Law was approved on December 10, 1921 and the Third Cheap Houses Law on October 10, 1924. They were under the jurisdiction of the Institute of Social Reforms, and after the reform of the General Directorate of Labor in 1920 they began to have their own section focused on cheap houses under the address of the Cheap and Economical Houses Service.[8]​[1]​.

The first Cheap Houses Law was approved in 1911 and its objective was to promote the construction of single-family or collective homes with independent rooms. It was designed to benefit the salaried working class, as well as people who received “(...) pensions for services provided to the State, the province, the municipality, or individuals.” This second meaning in the long run, and especially after the third law and its modifications, opened the doors to the construction of housing also intended for officials, the military or the middle class.[1]​.

This law was expanded with a regulation in 1912 that regulated, among other things, the maximum income that the person who requested the house should obtain, the hygienic-sanitary requirements and the quality of the construction, the minimum height of the ceilings or its use (housing or industrial in some cases).

In 1921 the law was expanded and two complementary regulations were subsequently approved in 1921 and 1922;[9]​ during the dictatorship of Primo de Rivera in 1925 it was extended to the middle class by royal decree. In 1927 it was also extended to civil servants and in 1928 to the military.[3] In addition to requiring a stable job and a minimum income to access a cheap house, the regulations that regulated the construction coefficients of this type of housing made the costs too high to be assumed by the most disadvantaged classes, which led to subsidized housing being built at prices that only middle-class families could afford. accommodated.[9][7]​.

At an economic level, the cheap house laws applied to real estate developers "Promoter (building agent)", housing cooperatives, savings banks, montes de pieta or any private developer exemptions from property rights, property transfer taxes, stamp duty and contributory taxes at the state and municipal level for 20 years. It also facilitated access to credit authorizations and free services in courts, tribunals or the property registry. A state budget item dedicated to the allocation of credit was designated and the transfer of public land was regulated. For this purpose, an attempt was made in 1928 to centralize public resources through the Fund for the Promotion of Small Property and the Board of Social Real Estate Policy, which did not work because the resources were much lower than the demand.[1]​ A quarter of the financial aid was reserved for cooperatives.[2]​.

The town councils that had neighborhoods of cheap houses had to establish a type of organization called local boards for the promotion and improvement of cheap rooms (or local boards of cheap houses) with the aim of promoting the projects among working-class families and controlling the execution of the works. Once the homes were built and awarded, these organizations had the intention of preventing immoral behavior from occurring in the buildings, avoiding alcoholic beverages, subletting or associations, among other things.[3] These boards had a conservative character due to the nature of their members since of the nine, five were appointed by the governor (an architect, a doctor and a councilor at the proposal of the Consistory and two members at their free election), and another two had to be from the group of fifty largest taxpayers of the municipality. The remaining two positions were occupied by tenants. Starting with the second Cheap Houses Law, the structure of joint wings was changed, and they were formed with the mayor, the municipal inspector, a councilor, the municipal architect, a lawyer, a member of the governor, two representatives of the construction companies and two members of the tenants.[1]​.

At an architectural level, the cheap houses were inspired by the rationalist movement "Rationalism (architecture)"), led by movements such as the German new objectivity "New objectivity (architecture)") and represented in Spain by the generation of '25; and by concepts such as existenzminimum (minimum desirable comfort), although this concept was not included in a Spanish Law until the revision of the Official Protection Housing Law "Official protection housing (Spain)") of 1976. "La Regalada" Retreat (1925-1932); and the "Primo de Rivera" and the "Jardín Municipal" in Chamartín.[12]​.

The quality of the buildings could vary enormously, depending on the developer or the locality. In the Basque Country, the houses had better construction quality because one of the requirements established by law was that construction materials be obtained locally. On the other hand, the fact that the houses could be acquired by officials or the military meant that many of the homes had a higher quality than initially anticipated. Starting with the 1924 law, cheap houses were divided into five categories. The lowest ones were called ultra-cheap or popular houses, intended for the lowest incomes, the cheap houses and above all the economic houses were designed for the middle class, the houses for officials, built only in Madrid and Barcelona, ​​and finally the houses for the military.[2]​.

Workers, often organized into housing cooperatives to facilitate construction and purchase through credit, had the option of participating in construction to reduce costs. Groups of houses of different types were built, the most common being two-story family homes, located in low-density housing estates such as in Cartagena or Bilbao, although in some cases it was decided to build cheap houses of higher height as in some developments in Barakaldo.[13] Another strategy used to reduce construction costs was to lower the height of the ceilings to 2.60, 2.50 and even 2.40 meters high, since according to the regulations of the time they often reached 3 meters or more for reasons of hygiene and ventilation.[11]​.

The number of rooms was designed to facilitate the separation between parents and children, and sometimes the separation between boys and girls. They began to design the rooms to enhance ventilation, and had innovations such as built-in wardrobes, a sink and toilet inside the house, and sometimes a shower or bathtub, although the lack of an efficient sewage system meant that it was often unusable, especially in the early years. The lack of urban structures such as sewage, paved streets, public lighting or common spaces such as gardens was common in this type of housing estates, located on the outskirts of cities and in areas with difficult access.[11]​[14]​.

The urbanization of the land intended for the construction of housing groups of cheap houses had to be carried out by the town councils, which in turn had to facilitate the allocation of land for this purpose, whether public or private.[2]​.

The scope of these laws was relatively moderate. Between 1921 and 1924, around 1,290 homes were built, mainly in Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Valencia and Seville. The Levante area was especially prolific in cheap houses. The municipalities where cheap houses were built the most were those of large cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Zaragoza or Valencia, although in smaller municipalities there was also some activity such as in Azcoitia (99 homes), Burgos (236), Gijón, León or Mieres.[2]​.