In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic where the tourism sector has been heavily affected in Spain, Barcelona City Council has announced that it plans to ban the rental of rooms for less than a month to prevent the proliferation of tourist rentals in the city.
Tourist or short-term rentals have been a controversial topic in Barcelona for quite some time and the council plans to continue to curb their growth. As part of a selection of new measures with the aim of protecting long-term rentals from being destroyed by tourist lets, Ada Colau (Mayor of Barcelona) and her council have proposed this new measure that would mean that people would be allowed to rent out rooms in their own home for stays of a minimum of 30 days.
This perhaps surprising rule given the current climate has been met with criticism and hesitation, but in spite of this is expected to come into force in August 2021 if the final plan is approved. According to the Councillor for Urban Planning in Barcelona, Janet Sanz, "allowing this type of rental in the city (currently estimated at 14,000) would lead to an exorbitant increase in the tourist offer in the city and a danger, since 670,000 houses could host tourists."
The Deputy Mayor also warned that, by banning these practices, "holiday rental platforms such as Airbnb must remove advertising because it will not be a permitted activity", while Airbnb expressed its concern at these possible measures.
The council, in defense of its latest proposal, concluded by stating that Barcelona already has "154,000 regulated beds, which is more than enough supply," during the presentation of the amendments to the PEUAT, the plan that regulates accommodation in the city and which the government initially approved.
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Discover the key differences between tourist rentals and seasonal lets in Spain, from legal requirements and contract lengths to taxation and tenant rights. Whether you're a property owner or tenant, understanding these distinctions is essential for making informed decisions in the Spanish rental market.
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