Barcelona, a popular holiday destination in Spain, announced on Friday (June 21) that it will reclaim all apartments rented to tourists, in a surprisingly severe measure. The cost of housing continues to soar, posing a headache for the local government in addressing residents’ housing issues.
Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, stated that by November 2028, the city will revoke the rental licenses for the current 10,101 approved short-term rental apartments.
“We believe that we are facing the biggest problem in Barcelona,” Collboni said during a municipal event, highlighting that housing difficulties have become a driving force of “inequality,” especially for young people.
Collboni noted that Barcelona is the most visited city by foreign tourists in Spain. While short-term rentals have brought prosperity, some residents cannot afford to buy homes as rental prices have risen by 68% in the past decade, and the cost of buying a house has increased by 38%.
“These 10,000 apartments will be made available for local residents to use, or they can be rented or sold on the market,” Collboni added.
In recent years, Barcelona has prohibited the construction of new tourist apartments. Since 2016, the local government has ordered the closure of 9,700 illegal tourist apartments and has reclaimed nearly 3,500 apartments to provide primary housing for local residents.
Governments worldwide often praise the economic benefits brought by the tourism industry. Spain is one of the top three countries with the most international visitors globally. However, the increasing profits from tourism rentals have made housing unaffordable for some residents, making it a hot topic across Europe.
Over the past decade, local governments in places like the Canary Islands, Lisbon, and Berlin have imposed restrictions on short-term rentals.
On February 16 last year, the Portuguese government announced it would cease issuing new “golden visas” to combat property price speculation.
The “golden visa” scheme in Portugal, popular among wealthy Chinese individuals, led to surging housing prices, making it difficult for many local residents to find suitable housing, especially in Lisbon and Porto, the two largest cities.
In 2020, the Portuguese government introduced a plan to curb the impact of golden visas on property prices by increasing the difficulty for holders to purchase homes in Lisbon and Porto. However, real estate executives say some individuals have found ways to bypass the restrictions.
Spanish Socialist Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez expressed support for Barcelona’s decision.
In a statement, the Barcelona Apartments Association APARTUR criticized Collboni’s action, warning that it could lead to higher poverty and unemployment rates, and potentially increase illegal tourist apartments.
The Barcelona local government stated that once the ban is in effect, it will maintain a “vigorous” inspection system to prevent the proliferation of illegal tourist apartments.
Hotels are expected to benefit from this move. Between 2015 and 2023, the ruling party in Barcelona banned the opening of new hotels in the city’s most popular areas. However, Collboni has indicated that he may relax this restriction in the future.