The European Holiday Home Association (EHHA), which represents short-term rental platforms like Airbnb, has lodged a formal complaint with the European Commission against the Catalan government’s decision to allow cities, including Barcelona, to ban such rentals.
In June, Barcelona’s Mayor Jaume Collboni unveiled a plan to eliminate all short-term rentals by 2028 in an effort to tackle the city’s rising rent prices, citing a regional housing decree from the previous year. This decree gives municipalities the discretion to include holiday rentals in their urban planning permits. The EHHA, however, argues that the new rules are “unjustified, disproportionate, and unsuitable” for addressing issues like overtourism and housing shortages, adding that the decree was adopted hastily and without public consultation.
“We are convinced that EU law has not been respected,” EHHA Secretary General Viktorija Molnar stated, referring to the European Services Directive, which requires rules to be justified, non-discriminatory, and proportionate.
The association hopes the European Commission will initiate a formal infringement procedure against Spain, one of the world’s top tourist destinations.
Meanwhile, Airbnb has also urged Mayor Collboni to reconsider the city’s growing crackdown on holiday rentals, arguing that the stringent restrictions on tourist accommodation licenses, in place since 2014, have failed to address both the housing crisis and the overwhelming impact of tourism.
According to Spanish government data, Barcelona is home to approximately 8,800 short-term rental properties.
