This Major European Destination Is Ending All Vacation Apartment Rentals

The seaside city of Barcelona attracts more than 10 million tourists from around the world every year, making it the most-visited city in Spain and one of the hottest destinations in Europe every summer. If you're looking to get an Airbnb or some other short-term apartment rental while you're in town, however, you won't be able to for much longer. 

The city just announced that it is outlawing apartment rentals to tourists by November 2028. It comes as locals have been dealing with skyrocketing housing costs as more than 10,000 apartments across the city are licensed as short-term rentals. 

"We are confronting what we believe is Barcelona’s largest problem,” mayor Jaume Collboni said of the move, per CNN. "Those 10,000 apartments will be used by the city’s residents or will go on the market for rent or sale."

Collboni cited the stats regarding the local housing market that prompted the decision. Rents have risen 68 percent in the past 10 years and the cost of buying a house climbed 38 percent. He noted that young people are particularly affected by these issues, as they can worsen inequality and make upward economic mobility even more difficult. 

Barcelona first banned the rentals of private rooms in 2021. Up until now, short-term rentals have had to be licensed with the city, and since 2016, the government has shut down 9,700 illegal tourist apartments across town. Nearly 3,500 apartments have been turned into housing for local residents during that time. 

The striking down of apartment rentals makes Barcelona the second major Spanish region to make the change following the Canary Islands. It's the latest European city to announce it's prohibiting short-term rentals after hotspots like Florence, Berlin, and Lisbon declared similar plans. 

If you're planning to get a short-term rental in a city where it isn't allowed, you might want to just opt for a hotel room instead.