Barcelona intensifies surveillance to regulate tourist apartments. As of 2029, the City Council plans to cease inspection and sanctioning activities. This in order to extinguish illegal tourist apartments. This was stated by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaime Collboni at a press conference with Isabel Rodriguez, who is the Minister of Housing and Urban Agency.
This interview was given after a visit to a public housing development for the elderly and social rentals. The national and international impact of the City Council’s report has been highlighted.
Legitimate resistance from some sectors
Faced with the extinction of tourist apartments, Collboni pointed out that there is legitimate resistance from some sectors, so he emphasizes that it is important to ensure legal certainty. These inspection services will be reinforced because there is obviously a risk that the illegal market will flourish or that it will want to respond to a demand where the legal supply has disappeared, as indicated by the mayor.
10,500 penalties since 2016
There have already been more than 10,500 sanctions since 2016 when the first inspection services of unlicensed tourist apartments began. Also, 9,700 stop-work orders have been filed. Collboni pointed out that when they started these inspections there were already 6,000 apartments with illegal tourist activity. He indicated that currently between 300 and 400 unlicensed apartments are deactivated every month.
The message Collboni sends to the neighbors is that they can rest assured that the illegal tourist apartments will no longer operate illegally, noting the following: “The inspection and sanctioning activity is and will be fully underway”.
Housing Minister agrees with City Council’s decision
Likewise, the Minister of Housing and Urban Agenda, agrees with the decision of the Barcelona City Council to remove the tourist apartments in Barcelona from 2028. He encouraged other mayors to take similar measures in municipalities with stressed rental areas.
On the other hand, Collboni points out that he has not looked the other way and is focused on offering solutions to the problem of access to housing in the Catalan capital. He also predicts that the people of Barcelona will be able to recognize the efforts of the mayor and the city council in carrying out this measure.
Conflict between two legitimate interests
For the Minister of Housing, Rodriguez, it is a conflict between two legitimate interests, such as the development of economic activity and social rights. Recognized as the right to affordable and decent housing is, it is always necessary to be on the right side.
It should be noted that the minister urged all the mayors of towns in which there are stressed rental areas that reduce the supply of housing to act. By raising prices. He also explained that when it comes to accommodation offering temporary rentals they will be managed through a single platform. On this platform, accreditation must be provided in order to avoid fraud and abuse.
