Airbnb in a flap: Rental giant asks Barcelona to ‘reconsider’ new restrictions.
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Tourist flats in Barcelona face extinction by 2028 – but at what cost?
Airbnb has slammed Barcelona’s plans to axe tourist apartments by 2028, urging the city council to “rethink” its restrictions. The holiday rental juggernaut made its fiery plea in a letter to Mayor Jaume Collboni, marking the tenth anniversary of the city’s moratorium on new licenses for short-term lets.
‘The plan’s not working!’
The online platform didn’t hold back, branding the decade-old rules “ineffective.” Airbnb claims the measures have done little to solve Barcelona’s housing crisis or curb mass tourism. Instead, it accused the hotel industry of inflating prices to record highs while thousands of tourist flats sit in regulatory limbo.
Tourists out, residents in?
The latest plan would see licenses for over 10,000 tourist apartments in Barcelona disappear by the year 2028. The goal is to turn them into much-needed homes for local residents.
The mayor has touted this move as a long-term solution to the city’s housing shortage, pointing out that house prices have soared by a whopping 68% over the past decade, while wages have crawled up just 38%.
But Airbnb isn’t buying it. The rental giant hit back, pointing out what it called a glaring contradiction: while the city vows to crack down on mass tourism, it’s also eyeing up space for 5,000 shiny new hotel rooms.
‘Real solutions, not plasters’
Airbnb says it’s played by the rules, boasting that it has scrubbed over 7,000 illegal listings since 2018. However, the platform insists that Barcelona’s approach is all wrong. In their letter, they claim that what’s needed are ‘real solutions to the housing and tourism problem’, adding that its service supports thousands of locals who rely on extra income from letting out their homes.
Tourist or tenant? The fight’s far from over.
With the city council doubling down on its plans, Airbnb’s future in Barcelona is looking increasingly shaky. Will the city stick to its guns and boot out tourist flats for good? Or will the rental giant’s sharp words make Collboni & Co. rethink their strategy? Is this what Barcelona and Spain as a whole need, or is it a flawed plan?
This battle is far from over, and it could be a ‘dress rehearsal’ for what will unfold in the rest of Spain.
One thing is certain, Barcelona’s residents and visitors alike will be watching closely.
Stay tuned for more.
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