Airbnb has urged Barcelona’s mayor to reconsider the city’s growing crackdown on short-term rentals, arguing that it benefits the hotel industry without solving issues like overtourism and the housing crisis.
In a letter to Mayor Jaume Collboni, Airbnb’s head of policy for Spain and Portugal, Sara Rodriguez, claimed the measures only hurt renters and homeowners.
In June, Collboni announced plans to eliminate short-term rentals by 2028 to curb rising rents, but this move is being challenged in court. Airbnb pointed out that previous regulations, which limited tourist rental licenses in central Barcelona since 2014, did not solve the city’s housing problems or reduce overtourism.
Despite a drop in short-term rental numbers, official data shows long-term rents have soared by over 70%, and hotel prices have increased by more than 60%. Airbnb also noted that vacant homes in Barcelona outnumber short-term rentals by eight to one.
The company suggested that addressing vacant homes would be a more effective way to increase affordable housing than cracking down on short-term rentals. It also highlighted that Airbnb has already removed over 7,000 listings in the city since 2018.
The hotel industry, led by Spain’s travel association Exceltur, has pushed for stronger regulations on short-term rentals, arguing that their growth has become “out of control” in major cities like Barcelona, Madrid, and Malaga.
