Barcelona, Spain – March 5, 2026 – Barcelona’s groundbreaking decision in 2024 to eliminate all 10,500 tourist apartments within its city limits by 2028 is now being embraced by several surrounding municipalities. Nearly two years after the initial announcement, five out of twelve neighboring towns are set to follow suit, aiming to reclaim residential properties for their citizens.
Five Neighboring Municipalities Join the Ban
The municipalities of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (with 523 tourist apartments), Sant Adrià de Besòs (280), Esplugues de Llobregat (18), Cornellà (89), and Sant Feliu de Llobregat (15) have all declared their intention to close existing tourist accommodations by 2028. All these towns are governed by the PSC, the same party as Barcelona’s mayor, Jaume Collboni.
Badalona’s mayor, Xavier García Albiol (PP), initially stated his intention to ban tourist apartments but later clarified that while new licenses would be prohibited, the 223 existing units would be maintained.
Other municipalities bordering Barcelona, such as El Prat de Llobregat (20 tourist apartments) and Sant Cugat (94), plan to retain their current units while upholding strict conditions for new licenses. Cerdanyola del Vallès (11 units) and Santa Coloma de Gramenet (47 units) have not yet initiated discussions regarding the 2028 deadline. Montcada i Reixac (12 units) and Sant Just Desvern have not responded to inquiries on the matter.
Housing Crisis Drives the Decision
In the summer of 2024, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni justified the ban on tourist apartments by citing the severe housing crisis. He emphasized that every apartment in the city should be available for its residents. This decision was supported by a Generalitat decree stating that all existing licenses would expire in 2028.
Municipalities wishing to continue with tourist housing will be required to draft urban plans to regulate the number, location, and conditions of such accommodations. Barcelona, however, will not draft any such plan, ensuring that licenses will expire without renewal.
Previous Measures and Escalation of the Issue
The housing crisis had been a growing concern long before the Generalitat declared war on tourist apartments in 2023. Barcelona implemented its first moratorium on new licenses in 2014 and permanently halted new openings with the Urban Plan for Tourist Accommodations (PEUAT) under former Mayor Ada Colau.
L’Hospitalet, the second-largest city in Catalonia, saw a surge in tourist accommodations when Barcelona tightened its regulations. In response, L’Hospitalet later amended its urban planning to prevent new openings and decided to close all existing tourist apartments by 2028.
Sant Adrià del Besòs was a pioneer in this regard. According to Urban Planning Councilor José A. Gras, the municipality approved a modification to the Metropolitan General Plan in 2023 to limit new implementations. Weeks after the Generalitat’s decree, they suspended new license applications and committed to not admitting any more. Mayor Filo Cañete and Gras confirmed in January that, in November 2028, all tourist apartments would be eliminated by not renewing existing authorizations.
In Santa Coloma, the number of tourist accommodations has significantly increased, with the majority of the 280 units requested between the pandemic and 2023. Its proximity to Barcelona, the Fòrum Convention Center, the UPC Besòs campus, and the future Tres Chimeneas neighborhood has also led to a boom in hotel offerings.
Cornellà modified its urban planning to regulate alternative uses of residential housing in late 2025. The city has not granted new licenses since 2023 and will maintain the ban on tourist apartments, not renewing them in 2028. The City Council stated that its goal is to preserve the residential character of neighborhoods and facilitate access to housing for residents.
Esplugues, with 18 tourist apartments, recently approved a moratorium on new licenses and has initially approved closing all units by 2028. Sant Feliu, with 15 units, made a similar decision in 2023 and will not permit any after 2028.
Maintaining Current Regulations in Some Areas
El Prat and Sant Cugat (the only municipality bordering Barcelona governed by Junts) maintain that their current regulations are already very restrictive, and tourist apartments do not pose a significant problem (20 and 94 units, respectively). They plan to maintain their urban planning rules and keep existing units open for now.
Despite the general consensus among mayors that local housing should be for local citizens, it is important to note that municipal elections will take place before the November 2028 deadline.
