The coastal city Barcelona attracts more than 10 million tourists from around the world every year, making it the most visited city in Spain and one of the most popular destinations in Europe every summer. However, if you’re looking for an Airbnb or other short-term apartment while you’re in town, you won’t be able to do that for much longer.
The city just announced that it will ban the rental of apartments to tourists from November 2028. Locals have had to deal with skyrocketing housing costs as more than 10,000 apartments in the city are licensed. short term rental.
“We are facing what we believe is Barcelona’s biggest problem,” Mayor Jaume Collboni said of the move. CNN. “Those 10,000 apartments will be used by the city’s residents or will come on the market for rent or sale.”
Collboni cited statistics regarding the local housing market that prompted this decision. Rents have increased by 68 percent in the past ten years and the cost of buying a home by 38 percent. He noted that these problems particularly affect young people as they can exacerbate inequality and make upward economic mobility even more difficult.
Barcelona banned the rental of private rooms for the first time in 2021. Until now, short-term rentals required a permit from the city, and since 2016 the government has closed 9,700 illegal tourist apartments in the city. Nearly 3,500 apartments have been converted into homes for local residents during that time.
By abolishing rental apartments, Barcelona is the second major Spanish region to make this change, after the Canary Islands. It is the latest European city to announce it is banning short-term rentals after hotspots like Florence, Berlin and other cities Lisbon announced similar plans.
If you plan to arrange a short-term rental in a city where this is not allowed, you may be better off opting for a hotel room.