The association of holiday apartment owners in Barcelona, Apartur, has filed a €4.2 billion compensation claim against the city’s proposed ban on tourist rentals starting in 2029. The measure, announced earlier this year, is part of an effort to tackle Barcelona’s chronic shortage of affordable housing.
In a statement released on Tuesday, Apartur revealed that the claim has been lodged with the Catalan regional government. It covers 7,200 tourist apartments in Barcelona and its surrounding areas. The association has given authorities a six-month window to respond, warning it will escalate the matter to the courts if no satisfactory resolution is reached.
“Not the root cause of housing issues”
Apartur argues that tourist rentals represent just 1% of Barcelona’s total housing stock. Additionally, it dismisses claims that eliminating short-term rental licenses would resolve the housing crisis. The group also questioned whether vacated holiday apartments would transition to affordable long-term housing for local residents.
Licensing freeze already in effect
Barcelona has long grappled with tensions between its booming tourism industry and local residents. In recent years, the city has stopped issuing new licenses for tourist rentals, citing housing affordability as a key concern. Faced with increasing difficulties for residents in finding affordable housing, Barcelona’s mayor, socialist Jaume Collboni, announced in June his intention to extinguish the licences of the city’s 10,000 tourist apartments by the end of 2028.
Barcelona, where rental prices have risen by 68% in the last decade, has not issued new licences for this type of accommodation for several years.
Tourism sparks tensions in Barcelona
With an average of 170,000 daily visitors, tourism accounts for around 14% of Barcelona’s GDP. However, it is also the third most pressing concern for the city’s 1.6 million residents, according to the latest municipal barometer.
Recent months have seen a resurgence of anti-tourism graffiti like “Tourists go home” and protests against overcrowding and soaring housing costs. Similar tensions have flared across Spain, the world’s second-largest tourist destination after France, which welcomed 85.1 million foreign visitors last year.
Also read: Claims for damages are pouring in after ban on rental of tourist apartments in Barcelona