Barcelona, Spain - June 21, 2024

Barcelona, one of Spain's top tourist destinations, announced Friday that it will ban flat rentals to tourists by 2028, an unexpectedly drastic move aimed at curbing soaring housing prices and making the city more liveable for residents.

The city's left-leaning mayor, Jaume Collboni, said that by November 2028, Barcelona will eliminate licences for the 10,101 flats currently approved as short-term rentals.

The boom in short-term rentals in Barcelona, Spain's most visited city by foreign tourists, means some residents cannot afford a flat after rents rose 68 per cent in the past 10 years and the cost of buying a home rose 38 per cent, Collboni said.

Access to housing has become a factor of inequality, especially for young people, he added.

Some images in association with Urban Ritxi.

SHOTLIST:
1. various apartment buildings in Barcelona;
2. various tourist buildings in Barcelona.