Barcelona has moved to ban short-term tourist rental accommodation within five years in the latest drive against mass tourism.
The city’s mayor pledged on Friday to drive the likes of Airbnb and Homeaway out of the city in an effort to tackle rent increases of 70% – provoking an industry backlash.
Jaume Collboni announced that the city council would eliminate the 10,101 tourist flat licences that have been granted in November 2028.
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The short-term renting of apartments would “cease completely”, he reportedly said.
“Those 10,000 apartments will be used by the city’s residents or will go on the market for rent or sale,” he added.
A tough inspection regime to detect potential illegal tourist apartments would continue once the ban comes into force.
“More supply of housing is needed and the measures we’re presenting are to provide more supply so that the working middle class does not have to leave the city because they can’t afford housing,” The Times reported Collboni as saying.
“This measure will not change the situation from one day to the next. These problems take time. But with this measure we are marking a turning point.”
The city’s mayor later added on X, formerly Twitter: “We want to guarantee the right to live in Barcelona and deal effectively with the housing crisis we have been suffering for years. For this reason, from the town hall, we act.”
But Enrique Alcantara, president of Barcelona’s tourist apartments association Apartur, hit back and said:“Tourist flats represent 0.77% of Barcelona’s housing stock. Eliminating them will not solve the problem of access to housing. The only thing the city council is going to achieve is to feed the supply of accommodation outside the law.
“They are destroying a sector that contributes €347 million to the public coffers of Barcelona, a sector made up of small owners that directly employs more than 5,000 people and indirectly many more: how many museums, shops and restaurants will have to close?”
Vanessa de Souza Lage, who lives in Barcelona and whose business Sustonia offers sustainability certification for short-term rentals, said: “The proposed ban on short-term rentals (STR) in Barcelona will have significant long-term negative consequences that the current government is overlooking.
“STRs are essential for dispersing tourism throughout the city. For instance, my neighborhood, which has no hotels, benefits from STRs bringing in visitors.
“Overcrowding is mainly an issue in areas densely populated with hotels, whereas many other neighbourhoods in Barcelona would welcome more tourists.
“Furthermore, STR travellers contribute to more sustainable tourism. They tend to spend their money locally, directly supporting the community. This includes local flat owners, cleaners, agencies, and nearby merchants.
“Because travellers cook in the accommodation, they are more likely to shop at local markets, buy local produce and therefore directly contribute to the local economy.
“This local spending boosts the neighbourhood’s economy, creating jobs and fostering economic resilience.
“In contrast, tourists staying in chain hotels typically channel their spending through international corporations, with much of the revenue leaving the local economy.
“By supporting STRs, we encourage a more equitable distribution of tourism’s economic benefits and promote a more sustainable and locally integrated model of tourism.
“This approach not only strengthens the local economy but also enhances the visitor experience by fostering genuine connections with the community.
“For these reasons, cities, and specifically Barcelona, should not ban STRs.”