Barcelona decides to ban holiday rental apartments

City Hall will revoke the licenses of more than 10,000 residences that currently welcome travelers

Barcelona intends to close all holiday rental properties by November 2028. The decision was announced on June 21 by the city hall, which will revoke the licenses of more than ten thousand apartments and houses in the city that currently have permission to receive travelers for short seasons .

The measure is linked to an attempt to control the increase in housing costs in the capital Cataloniawhich is the most visited city by foreigners in Spain.

According to Mayor Jaume Collboni, over the past ten years, rental prices have increased by 68% and purchase prices by 38%. “These 10,000 apartments will be used by the city’s residents or put on the market for rent or sale,” he said.

To the British newspaper The Guardianthe Association of Tourist Apartments of Barcelona (Apartur) said the decision would increase the number of illegal holiday rental apartments.

In recent years the Municipality has stopped granting licenses for the tourist use of residences. Furthermore, since 2016 the local government has ordered the closure of over nine thousand apartments that they were operating illegally.

As tourists will depend more on the hotel sector, Barcelona He should relax another measure that since 2015 has banned the construction of new hotels in the busiest areas of the city.

Recently, Madrid announced that it will stop issuing licenses for new properties to be used for vacation rentals. The measure should be valid until at least 2025.

Source: Terra

Ben

Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.