Barcelona is at the epicentre of a debate that could redefine its economic and residential future. The City Council's decision to eliminate tourist flat licences by November 2028 is based on the premise that this action will free up housing for long-term rental. However, a detailed analysis of the situation, backed by a report by the consultancy PwC, suggests that the reality is much more complex and the consequences could be counterproductive.
The paradox is evident when looking at the data. While the price of rent in Barcelona has gone up by 72% in the last decade, The number of licences for Flexible Accommodation has remained virtually stagnant, with a growth of only 2.2%, thanks to a pioneering regulation that froze new openings in 2014. The case of the Eixample district is even more revealing: there, the number of tourist flats decreased 3% between 2014 and 2023, while rents soared by 82%. This disconnect suggests that the cause of rising housing prices lies elsewhere.
The premise that these 10,000 dwellings (barely the 1% of total fleet The fact that the city's housing stock will automatically be transferred to the residential market is, according to experts, an unfounded assumption. A study by the Universitat Pompeu Fabra and Tecnocasa warns that owners, exercising their right of ownership, could choose to sell the properties or put them to other uses, which could even reduce the rental offer.
Fernando Gos-Gayón López, director of the Housing Observatory of the Universitat Politècnica de València, describes as an «alibi» the fact of pointing to tourism as the main cause of the housing crisis. The real problems, according to analyses, lie in the stagnation of the stock of flats, the increase in population, the lack of subsidised housing and a construction that does not react to demand due to a shortage of labour and the slow adoption of industrialised solutions.
While the impact on housing is questionable, the economic blow would be severe. The PwC report is clear: the elimination of legal tourist flats would mean a loss of 1.9 billion for GDP of Barcelona and the disappearance of 40,000 jobs. The 65% of expenditure of the users of this type of Flexible Accommodation goes directly to neighbourhood shops and restaurants, boosting the local economy at a grassroots level.
Moreover, this measure would have a direct impact on the city's tourism model. Tourist flats represent the 40% of the accommodation offer and are the preferred choice for one in two families y four out of ten conference participants visiting Barcelona. Their elimination would not only reduce the reception capacity, but could also lead to the resurgence of an uncontrolled illegal market.
The sector, dominated by a 80% by smallholders, has already taken legal action at European level, and bodies such as the Catalan Competition Authority (ACCO) and the CNMC have come out against the measure. The debate is on, and the figures suggest that the solution to Barcelona's housing crisis requires a much deeper approach than simply eliminating a key part of its economic ecosystem.
