All Barcelona tourist residences will be removed until November 2028, according to a statement from the city council. Mayor Jaume Collboni, a supporter of socialism, announced that the permits for 10,101 tourist apartments in Barcelona will expire within 4 years.
This move is a big blow for temporary accommodation rental platforms (Airbnb, Booking), while on the other hand the locals of Barcelona, desperate from the huge waves of tourism, seem to be Justified.
Announcing the move, Collboni said the rising cost of real estate in the city, as rental and purchase prices have increased by 70% and 40% respectively over the past 10 years, has forced him to take drastic measures.
He stated that“We cannot allow the fact that most young people who leave home are forced to leave Barcelona. The measures that we have taken will not change the situation overnight. These things take time. But with these measures we are reaching a tipping point.”
Deputy Mayor and Head of Planning Laia Bonet, considered the move as “equivalent to the construction of 10,000 new apartments”, which will be able to used by the locals for residential use. Alongside the revocation of tourist apartment licences, the mayor of Barcelona has announced that new legislation will require building developers to have at least the 30% of new housing for social housing.
These measures are intended to pressure relief exercised in respect of the purchase of housing. It should be noted that in recent years there has been a dramatic increase in prices due to over-tourism. This fact displaced the locals of Barcelona who could not afford to cope with these conditions.
