Barcelona’s legal short-term rental market will cease to exist by November 2028, when all existing holiday flat permits expire and are not renewed. Mayor Jaume Collboni confirmed in June 2024 that the city will fully implement Decree-Law 3/2023, which ends the granting of new permits and ensures existing ones will not be extended. This affects 10,101 licensed tourist-use apartments, known locally as HUTs, which will transition back into the long-term housing market.
The move is part of the city’s Viure Plan, designed to address housing shortages and rising costs. Deputy Mayor Laia Bonet and Fourth Deputy Mayor Jordi Valls supported the measure, which also requires 30% of private developments to be allocated to public housing. According to the Barcelona City Council, the goal is to reverse stagnation in housing supply and prevent residents from being priced out.
No new holiday flat permits have been issued since a moratorium was formalised in the Barcelona Official Gazette on 2 July 2015. Since then, more than 3,500 apartments have already left the short-term rental market. The city’s Special Urban Plan for Holiday Accommodation (PEUAT) will not include a category for holiday flats, effectively banning new entries.
Until November 2028, currently licensed apartments remain legal to book. However, since 1 July 2025, all short-term rentals in Spain must display a Unique Registration Number. Listings without one must be removed within 48 hours of detection. Travellers can verify a property’s legal status using the city’s public checker at fairtourism.barcelona, a tool that confirms whether an address holds a valid tourist licence.
Enforcement has been robust. Since 2016, Barcelona has issued over 9,077 fines and ordered the closure of 9,700 illegal tourist apartments. In December 2025, Airbnb was fined €64 million for facilitating unlicensed rentals; the penalty was upheld by a court in March 2026. Fines for unlicensed operators in Catalonia can reach €600,000, though guests in closed accommodations face disruption regardless of liability.
Taxation has also changed. From 1 April 2026, a combined tourist tax of €9.50 per person per night applies to short-term rentals in Barcelona, up from €6.25, with the municipal surcharge set to rise by €1 annually, reaching €8 by 2029. Five-star hotels pay €12 per person per night under the same framework. As legal tourist apartments disappear, the tax differential between hotels and apartments will become increasingly academic.
Travellers planning to book a tourist apartment in Barcelona before the 2028 deadline are advised to verify the property’s licence status via fairtourism.barcelona before paying any deposit. The city has demonstrated a consistent record of enforcement and will act against unlicensed operations at scale.
Primary sources: Barcelona City Council. Reported by fairtourism.barcelona, TNT Magazine.
