Barcelona to end permits for 10,101 tourist flats in 2028

Barcelona to end permits for 10,101 tourist flats in 2028

The Barcelona City Council will no longer grant new short-term rental licenses for residential properties and will not renew existing ones as of November 2028. Consequently, the city’s 10,101 registered tourist apartments will lose that status in less than five years. Announced by the mayor, this measure relies on regulations being prepared by the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan regional government) to end perpetual licenses in the region. The industry has already threatened legal action, sparking debate over the measure's actual scope.

What losing 10,101 tourist licenses means

The figure is specific: 10,101 registered tourist-use homes in Barcelona. If licenses are not renewed, these units will cease operating as tourist accommodation and, theoretically, return to the residential market. Some argue this number is irrelevant to the housing crisis and that half of these apartments will be converted into hostels or boutique hotels. Other estimates suggest limited impact because most tourist flats operate without licenses and will continue functioning outside the rules.

The underlying issue is supply: if 10,101 units are removed from the short-term rental market without new housing construction, the effect on prices depends on how many actually move to long-term rentals versus how many remain empty or held by investment funds. A lingering doubt about the announcement is whether the goal is to return homes to the rental market or simply concentrate tourism business in hotel chains.

The upcoming legal battle: perpetual licenses and disputed renewals

Legal certainty is the most contested point. Some analyses argue that licenses were granted without expiration dates or renewal requirements, and now a five-year expiry term is being applied retroactively where none existed before. If confirmed, affected owners could claim damages. The president of the tourist apartment association has already announced legal action, with outcomes uncertain at this stage.

The cited precedent involves renewable energy: retroactive regulatory changes that ended up in court. If the City Council refuses to renew already-granted licenses, the question is whether it can do so without compensation. The answer remains unwritten and will depend on how the Generalitat’s regulation is structured and judicial rulings.

Why mass tourism is losing ground in Barcelona

Tourism has been Barcelona’s economic engine since 2012, when demand exceeded hotel capacity and tourist-use dwellings, both legal and illegal, were permitted. Now the city aims to close this channel without guaranteeing an alternative high-value-added sector. Some predict local economic crisis; others believe mass tourism is already declining naturally, with economic data indicating a cycle change.

It seems clear the city has decided to sacrifice part of this business to curb gentrification and resident displacement. The political and economic cost of this shift is not quantified in the announcement.

The black market that may replace licensed activity

If licenses disappear, activity does not vanish; it shifts. The most common prediction is a rise in hidden rentals, apartments lent to acquaintances for days, and use of alternative platforms. Controlling this requires inspections, which are costly. Without licenses, there is no registry; without a registry, sanctions are impossible.

The paradoxical result is that the measure could reduce legal supply without reducing real supply, meaning short-term rental prices might not drop, nor would residential rents. The remedy could be worse than the disease if not accompanied by effective control of the underground market.

What happens to Barcelona’s tourist flats after 2028

The timeline is clear: November 2028. Until then, existing licenses remain active. After that date, without renewal, the 10,101 registered tourist apartments lose their status. The unknowns are how many return to long-term rentals, how many are sold, and how many pass to hotel chains.

A cautious prediction suggests the impact on rental prices will be smaller than promised but larger than antiestéticared by the sector, though no one has exact figures. What can be stated is that the measure creates no new housing; it only changes the use of existing stock. Without construction, the long-term effect dilutes.

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Key Data

• 10,101 currently registered tourist apartments in Barcelona
• November 2028: date when existing licenses will not be renewed
• Five years: license renewal period to be applied in Catalonia