Millions visit Barcelona every year (Credits: Getty Images)
Last year, 15.6 million tourists headed to Barcelona, one of the world’s most vibrant beach cities.
From the awe-inspiring Sagrada Familia and strolls along La Rambla, to beach parties and clubbing until dawn, there’s something for everyone in the Spanish hotspot.
But a major change to apartment rentals could spell disaster for holidaymakers.
By 2028, Barcelona authorities have said they will get rid of all short-term private rentals in the city, which includes cancelling the licenses of 10,101 apartments currently approved.
It means that private rentals found on the likes of Airbnb will become a thing of the past.
The drastic move is in response to rising rents in the city, meaning that locals are struggling to afford to find anywhere to live.
It’s a hugely popular destination for holidaymakers (Picture: Getty Images)
Mayor Jaume Collboni said: ‘We are confronting what we believe is Barcelona’s largest problem.’
He added: ‘Tourist flats as we conceive of them today will disappear from the city of Barcelona.’
Rents in Barcelona have surged 68% in the past 10 years, while the cost of buying a house rose by 38%.
‘Those 10,000 apartments will be used by the city’s residents or will go on the market for rent or sale,’ Mayor Collboni said.
Murals in Spain have protested against the effects of tourism (Picture: Getty)
Which other European countries are cracking down on short-term rentals?
Across Europe, many countries are either restricting or banning short-term lets.
UK
Prior to news of the General Election, the UK government unveiled plans that would mean planning permission is required to rent out a property for more than 90 days per year.
Michael Gove said this would be to ‘strike a balance between giving local people access to more affordable housing while ensuring the visitor economy continues to flourish.’
There would also be a mandatory national register for local authorities to keep track of exactly how many short-term lets are in the area.
In response, Airbnb said: ‘We recognise there are historic housing challenges facing some communities in the UK.
‘While short-term lets are not the root cause of housing challenges, we want to be a responsible partner and help make communities stronger and work hand in hand to address the challenges they face.’
Planning permission may be required to rent out properties in the UK (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Paris, France
If you’ve got a short-term let in Paris, be careful: the city has a dedicated policing unit with the sole focus of catching and fining illegal renters.
Here, owners are only allowed to rent their primary residence (that’s the place you live for at least eight months per year) for a maximum of 120 days per year. However, you can rent a single room without any time limit.
Vienna, Austria
If you rent out an apartment in the Austrian capital, you can only offer it out for a maximum of 90 days per year.
Parts of Vienna had already imposed these restrictions back in 2018, but it now applies to the whole city.
Portugal
Last year, Portugal’s Prime Minister Antonio Costa announced that no new licenses …read more
Source:: Metro
