Barcelona bans tourist rentals starting 2028 to combat housing crisis

Due to the housing crisis, renting apartments to tourists in Barcelona will no longer be possible starting in 2028. The city authorities made this decision. The mayor announced that owners of over 10,000 such apartments will lose their licenses to operate rental businesses.

Barcelona's authorities have radically changed the policy regarding renting apartments to tourists. Mayor Jaume Collboni announced that by November 2028, the city will not issue new licenses allowing short-term rentals to tourists.

The mayor emphasized that the goal of this decision is to limit the impact of tourist rentals on the local housing market and improve living conditions for the city's residents.

According to the new policy, apartments currently used for short-term rentals will gradually be converted to long-term rentals for Barcelona residents or put up for sale.

It's worth noting that Barcelona is one of the most frequently visited cities by foreign tourists in Spain. Currently, there are over 10,000 apartments available for short-term rent in the city. Such apartments can be found on popular booking platforms.

The city authorities' decision responds to the growing housing crisis affecting Barcelona. The mayor noted that rental costs for residents have increased by 68 percent over the past 10 years, and property prices have skyrocketed by 38 percent. In his opinion, the housing crisis has exacerbated social inequalities and mainly affected young people, who find it increasingly difficult to find suitable housing.

As reported by CNN, the association of tourist apartments APARTUR believes that the mayor is making a mistake, predicting that this decision could deepen "poverty and unemployment". Another issue is the increase in the number of illegally operated tourist apartments.

In response, the Barcelona authorities emphasized that strict controls would be maintained. As reported by CNN, since 2016, authorities have ordered the closure of 9,700 illegally operating apartments, of which almost 3,500 have been converted into housing for city residents.