The Spanish city of Barcelona, one of Europe's top tourist destinations, has announced a plan to ban apartment rentals to tourists by November 2028. The move, announced by Mayor Jaume Collboni, aims to alleviate the long-standing housing crisis, lower prices for residents, improve livability, and increase the city’s affordable housing stock. Over the past 10 years, the rise in short-term rentals has driven rents up by 68%, and the cost of buying a house by 38%, contributing significantly to a cost-of-living crisis.
The limited access to housing for residents became a driver of inequality. Now the city aims to eliminate the 10,101 tourist apartments once their license expires in a maximum of four years. The emptied apartments are expected to be used by residents, reentering the market as long-term rentals or sales opportunities. Since 2026, no new tourist apartment licenses have been issued, and over 3,500 apartments have already been recovered as primary housing for residents. The local government stated that it will maintain a strict inspection regime to detect illegal practices once the ban is instated.
Two years ago, the Parliament of Catalonia passed a law decree, the Catalan Emergency Housing Act, that allows city and regional officials to forcibly expropriate housing properties that have been “vacant without justified cause” for over two years. The law also gives the right to officials to force landlords to offer affordable housing. The tourist rental ban continues in these efforts, as it is not enacted as part of a new law but as an extended consequence of this decree. The measure also has the support of Spain’s new housing minister, Isabel Rodriguez, according to The Guardian.
While Spain has benefited from the economic benefits of tourism, ranking among the top three most visited countries in the world, over-tourism has generated affordability problems among local residents. In addition to helping local residents, the measures are expected to profit hotel chains. As part of the Special Urban Plan for Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT), no new hotels have been approved in the city between 2015 and 2023, but the mayor signaled that the measure could be relaxed.
Earlier this year, the city of Barcelona was named the UIA’s 2026 World Capital of Architecture by UNESCO, a title that comes in recognition of its commitment to promoting the values of architecture, urban planning, and sustainability. Aligning with these principles, authorities in Barcelona have begun to implement “Superblocks,” a plan to generate public spaces and reclaim streets for pedestrians. Recently, Los Angeles has announced a similar plan to create a car-free grid of city streets, inspired by the Barcelona model.
