To combat the city’s housing crisis, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni has proposed a drastic measure: To delete all tourist apartments in the city by November 2028. By not renewing the permits for tourist accommodation, authorities hope to convert these apartments into primary homes for residents.
Linked to this news is the fact that the city has closed almost 10,000 illegal tourist rentals since 2016, with almost 4,000 apartments moved from illegal visitor accommodation to long-term housing.
This comes to light five years after the Catalan government’s legislation on November 7, 2023, which limits the use of tourist apartments in municipalities with a major housing crisis.
Since the law came into effect, authorities have only been able to acquire 93 houses, and only eight of them have become reality. In addition to removing tourist apartments from Barcelona, Collboni wants to ensure that 30% of new construction will be used for social housing.
The Catalan capital has seen house prices rise by 68%, while salaries have increased by 38%. Furthermore, rents have increased by almost 70% over the past decade, while the cost of buying a home has increased by almost 40% over the same period.
The controversial decision has left the tourism industry stunned as Spain is the second most visited country in the world. According to a report published by Statista in June 2024, Spain ranks second after France.
After November 2028, Collboni stated that there will not be a single tourist apartment in Barcelona, but that this will encounter several opposition and will likely result in a lengthy legal battle.
Companies such as Airbnb and other rental platforms that host a high percentage of short-term rental offers in Barcelona have not commented on the news.
