Barcelona, which is a top holiday destination in Spain, would bar apartment rentals to tourists by 2028. On Friday (June 21), Barcelona's Mayor Jaume Collboni said that by November 2028, the city will scrap the licences of the 10,101 apartments currently approved as short-term rentals.
"We are confronting what we believe is Barcelona's largest problem," Collboni told. The move comes as Barcelona seeks to rein in soaring housing costs and make the city liveable for residents.
Collboni said that the boom in short-term rentals in Barcelona means some residents cannot afford an apartment after rents rose 68 per cent in the past 10 years and the cost of buying a house rose by 38 per cent. Access to housing has become a driver of inequality, particularly for young people, the mayor added.
Spain's Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez said she supported Collboni's decision. In a post on X, Housing Minister Rodriguez said, "It's about making all the necessary efforts to guarantee access to affordable housing."
The Barcelona mayor's decision was criticised by the city's tourist apartments association APARTUR. "Collboni is making a mistake that will lead to (higher) poverty and unemployment," APARTUR said, adding, that the ban would also trigger a rise in illegal tourist apartments.
But Barcelona authorities said it would maintain its "strong" inspection regime to detect potential illegal tourist apartments once the ban comes into force. Hotels stand to benefit from Collboni's decision. The opening of new hotels in Barcelona's most popular areas was banned by a far-left party governing Barcelona between 2015 and 2023.
