Barcelona, one of Spain’s most popular tourist destinations, is set to make waves in the travel industry with a bold new policy. The city announced plans to completely ban short-term apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, a move that’s sure to shake up how visitors experience this vibrant Mediterranean city.
Mayor Jaume Collboni revealed that all currently licensed short-term rental apartments will lose their permits by November 2028. This sweeping change aims to tackle what Collboni calls “Barcelona’s largest problem” – the city’s soaring housing costs that have left many locals struggling to afford a place to live.
The numbers paint a dark picture of Barcelona’s housing crisis. Over the past decade, rental prices have skyrocketed by a staggering 68%, while the cost of buying a home has jumped 38%. This rapid increase has hit young residents particularly hard, widening the inequality gap and pushing many out of their neighborhoods.
Barcelona isn’t alone in grappling with the impact of short-term rentals on its housing market. Cities across Europe are facing similar challenges as platforms like Airbnb have transformed residential areas into tourist hotspots. While the economic benefits of tourism are clear – Spain ranks among the world’s top three most-visited countries – the social cost is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.
The city’s approach to this issue has been evolving for years. No new tourist apartments have been approved recently, and since 2016, authorities have shut down nearly 9,700 illegal rentals. These efforts have already helped reclaim about 3,500 apartments for long-term residential use.
But what does this mean for travelers planning to visit Barcelona in the coming years? While the full ban won’t take effect until 2028, visitors should expect to see changes in their accommodation options well before then. Hotels are likely to benefit from this shift, potentially seeing an increase in bookings as apartment rentals become scarcer.
Interestingly, Barcelona’s stance on hotels may also be changing. The previous far-left administration, which governed from 2015 to 2023, had banned new hotels in popular areas. Mayor Collboni has hinted at possibly relaxing these restrictions, which could lead to more traditional lodging options for tourists in the future.
For those who’ve grown accustomed to the home-like feel of apartment rentals, this news might be disappointing. However, the city government argues that the move is necessary to preserve Barcelona’s character and livability for its residents.
As the 2028 deadline approaches, the local government has promised to maintain a “strong” inspection regime to catch any potential illegal tourist apartments. This suggests that even as licensed rentals phase out, authorities will be on high alert for any attempts to circumvent the new rules.
This dramatic policy shift in Barcelona could set a precedent for other popular tourist destinations facing similar housing pressures. It raises important questions about balancing the economic benefits of tourism with the needs of local communities.
As travelers, we may need to rethink how we experience cities like Barcelona in the future. While apartment rentals have offered a more immersive, “live like a local” experience, the true cost of this trend on local communities is becoming increasingly clear. As we plan our trips in the years to come, it’s worth considering how our choices as tourists impact the places we visit.
