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# Barcelona rental stock down 83% since 2018
- URL: https://barna.news/barcelona-rental-stock-down-83-since/
- Published: 2026-10-07T15:20:58.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-07T15:45:07.000Z
- Description: New data reveals a dramatic drop in long-term rental homes in Barcelona, from over 113,000 in 2018 to fewer than 20,000 in 2025.
- Author: Barna.News
- Tags: Housing

## Rental supply collapse in Barcelona

Barcelona has lost 82.7% of its long-term rental housing stock since 2018, falling from more than 113,850 available homes to just 19,723 in 2025, according to data from property portal idealista. The figures, accessed exclusively by EL MUNDO and reported by The Corner.eu, highlight a nationwide decline in rental listings, with Spain losing nearly 400,000 rental properties over eight years. In Catalonia, the drop in rental supply is the steepest in Spain at 71.2%, while Barcelona is the worst-affected city. The region was the first of four autonomous communities to implement price controls and designate stressed housing areas, now covering 302 municipalities, under the 2023 Housing Law (Ley 12/2023, de 24 de mayo, por el derecho a la vivienda), the flagship housing policy of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government.

## National decline and policy impact

Across Spain, rental listings fell from over 902,660 in 2018 to just over 510,000 in 2025\. Madrid lost 58% of its rental stock, dropping from 202,484 listings to 84,920\. Bilbao saw a 60.8% decline, from 7,560 to 2,964 homes. The industry had warned that the 2023 Housing Law would reduce market supply by increasing legal uncertainty for landlords. The law introduced new tax incentives under Personal Income Tax (IRPF), including a 90% reduction on rental income for landlords in stressed markets who lower rents by at least 5%, and 70% for rentals to tenants aged 18–35 in those areas. These incentives are detailed on Spain’s Tax Agency website, which outlines the changes introduced by Law 12/2023 on 24 May 2023.

> The 2023 Housing Law aimed to increase affordability, but evidence suggests it may have discouraged landlords from offering long-term rentals.

## Current market vs official data

As of today, idealista lists only 2,633 long-term rental properties in Barcelona, far below the 19,723 cited for 2025\. This discrepancy may reflect seasonal fluctuations, data aggregation methods, or a further drop in availability since the study period. Long-term rentals are defined as leases lasting more than 32 days and up to 11 months, distinct from short-term tourist lets. Spain’s housing shortage is compounded by high immigration levels. Eurostat data shows Spain received more immigrants than France and Germany combined, pushing the population close to 50 million.

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Residents seeking long-term rentals in Barcelona can view current listings on [idealista's monthly rental portal](https://www.idealista.com/buscar/alquiler-viviendas/barcelona-barcelona/alquiler%5Fpor%5Fmeses/?ref=barna.news).

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*Primary sources:* [*sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es*](https://sede.agenciatributaria.gob.es/Sede/en%5Fgb/irpf/novedades-impuesto/novedades-normativa-2023/principales-novedades-ley-12-2023-mayo.html?ref=barna.news)*. Reported by thecorner.eu, idealista.com, The Corner.eu.*

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