Why Is Barcelona Banning Holiday Apartments?, Canada Reviews

Barcelona is a must-see city –  it’s Spain’s most visited destination by foreign tourists, and with all the brilliant art galleries, food, beaches and bars on offer, it’s not hard to see why. 

However, sky-high visitor numbers have caused frustration among locals for years, and anti-tourism activists could be on the brink of a huge victory. That’s because Jaume Collboni, the city’s socialist mayor, announced a drastic measure which could see all holiday licences revoked in November 2028. 

Yes, you read that right. Every short-let apartment in the city – of which there are around 10,000 – will no longer be bookable for tourists after that date, if this proposal goes ahead. 

This is obviously pretty bad news for holiday rental platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com, and not everyone is here for it. ‘Collboni is making a mistake that will lead to [higher] poverty and unemployment,’ said Barcelona’s tourist apartments association Apartur, according to the Guardian, and they claim the ban will just lead to more illegal tourist apartments. 

But while Barcelona might enjoy the economic benefits of welcoming so many visitors, the decision has been made for good reason: to alleviate pressure on the housing market. 

‘We cannot allow it that most young people who leave home are forced to leave Barcelona,’ Collborni told the Olive Press, ‘The measures we have taken will not change the situation in one day … but we are reaching a turning point.’

According to Collboni, over the last 10 years the price of renting in Barcelona has soared by 68 percent, and the price of buying has risen by 38 percent. This measure essentially means there will be 10,000 new homes available in the city. 

Officials say that because they’ve been given more than four years of warning, landlords will be compensated for the ban. 

Other changes have been announced too. As the measure means tourists will rely on hotels more, the city is expected to go back on a previous rule that saw a clampdown on new hotels between 2015 and 2023. Collboni also outlined plans to force constructors of any new homes to allocate 30 percent to social housing. 

However, this proposal has just been met with some resistance, as it apparently breaches EU law. According to euronews, the European Holiday Home Association argues Spain’s actions are ‘unjustified, disproportionate and unsuitable’ and in breach of the EU’s Services Directive. 

So, we’ll have to wait and see what happens with the ban, as the European Commission could implement an infringement procedure to prevent it going ahead at all. Stay tuned.  

Madrid recently announced a ban on new holiday rentals to curb overtourism, too – you can read more about that here. 

Did you see that the ‘Most Sustainable Souvenir Shop in the World’ just opened in this European city?

Plus: This is the official opening date for Market Barcelona. 

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