EDITOR'S COMMENT
Like Lisbon, which we cited in these editorial comments last week, Barcelona has felt like the epicentre of short-term rental regulation in Europe this year. Mayor Jaume Collboni wants to ban tourist rentals in the city by late 2028, pitting himself against booking platforms and STR groups who blame politicians for decades of failure to build adequate housing supply.
There are countless examples globally where "disproportionate" or even "illegal" laws are being applied without truly getting to the roots of the affordable housing crisis. The common denominator behind all of these cases is where politicians seem to be blissfully unaware of or are intentionally ignoring the data that indicates that STRs are not the principal contributors to restricted housing stock, despite protests from industry associations and the evidence being in front of them. In many cases, hotels are not being given the same treatment, even though they are also 'tourist accommodation' and are being built at even quicker rates.
The arguments put forward by Airbnb and the UK Short Term Accommodation Association [STAA] for why the Barcelona ban should be reversed are both scathing and measured, but the following statement by the European Holiday Home Association [EHHA] speaks volumes: "The EHHA highlights that housing shortages across Europe and arguments about overtourism are complex, multifaceted issues that cannot be solved by blaming STRs. Instead, these challenges stem from factors such as population growth, insufficient investment in housing, and rigid urban planning, and blaming STRs risks harming families trying to offset rising living costs, small tourism operators, and local economies."
As ever, overtourism is no black and white issue - the housing shortage in Barcelona is undeniable [as it is in Spain and many other cities worldwide] but the contributing factors towards it are what is fuelling this debate. In this part of Catalonia specifically, Collboni appears to be driving his motion for political gain rather than having full conviction in his policies. I was previously told that to understand the city of Barcelona and its challenges, you have to understand the mentality of its people - described to me as "anarchistic" in a nod to Spain's recent political history - and perhaps the mayor is creating his own frenzy because it is easier to scapegoat a sector for wider challenges than looking in the mirror.
• Don't miss our annual STRz predictions webinar coming up on Tuesday 3 December [4pm GMT] - our most popular session of the year. Tune in to find out our 2025 forecasts in the STR industry with Dan Jefferys [Resooma], Zach Busekrus [Journey], Eva Stewart [GSIQ Tourism Insights] and Simon Matthews [HomeToGo] - sign up at no cost here.
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