Overview
- Barcelona plans to let about 10,500 licensed tourist flats lapse in 2028, a stance now echoed by L’Hospitalet, Sant Adrià, Esplugues, Cornellà and Sant Feliu, according to local officials.
- Badalona’s mayor Xavier García Albiol clarified that the city will halt new permits but keep existing licensed flats, with a vote targeted for April or May.
- Industry group Apartur warns that removing legal tourist flats would eliminate roughly 50,000 beds and could leave the city short during peak events such as the Mobile World Congress.
- A PwC analysis cited by the sector estimates activity linked to tourist flats contributes about €1.93 billion to Barcelona’s GDP and supports more than 40,000 jobs.
- Critics contend municipal claims that eliminating tourist flats will ease housing costs rely on weak assumptions in an IEB study, including full conversion of these homes to long-term rentals.