EDITOR'S COMMENT
We have seen everything from licensing schemes to annual limits and restrictions on new licences in terms of short-term rental regulation around the world but the proposed holiday rental ban in Barcelona, which looks set to be implemented by late 2028, is by far the most radical legislative measure that has been announced to date.
On Friday, Barcelona socialist mayor Jaume Collboni announced that, as of November 2028, the local government will no longer give new licences and revoke existing ones that allow apartment owners to rent out their accommodation to tourists. The regulations follow on from similar headlines across Spain, after Madrid City Council introduced a temporary suspension on granting new holiday rental licences with immediate effect until 2025, and a law was drafted in the Canary Islands to bar new-build properties from the STR market.
Speaking pragmatically, one can understand the exasperation of a city that already restricts tourists from renting out individual rooms and that claims to have shut down almost 10,000 illegally rented apartments in the last eight years, all while trying to increase affordable housing supply and control "skyrocketing" rental prices. But how much of this is down to the STR sector and how much of this is due to the lack of a clear legislative framework? And what could be the negative effects of the potential holiday rental ban?
Though the enforcement of a ban is still some way off, the almost unprecedented, extreme nature of the law appears to overlook the benefits that STRs bring to the local community and economy and the upsides of having diversity of lodging choice, while adding fuel to an already highly politicised fire. There have already been countless examples of markets that have tried to initiate bans or restrictions with varying degrees of success - from Penang to Amsterdam and Local Law 18 in New York City - and Barcelona would do well to heed the warnings of those cities, as we heard at the recent Skift STR Summit. If not, this could have seismic consequences for local tourism and the long-term reputation of this segment.
Stay tuned for more reaction, comment and content throughout the week on STRz regarding this developing story.
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