Home rentals group takes Barcelona's ban to EU Commission

20/11/2024 17:22

        The European Holiday Home Association, which represents short-term rentals on online platforms such as Airbnb, has filed a complaint with the European Commission against the Spanish region of Catalonia for allowing cities to ban such rentals.
        
        In June, Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni announced a plan to shut down all short-term rentals by 2028 in a bid to curb rising rents for local residents, based on a regional housing decree adopted last year that leaves it up to municipalities whether to include holiday flats in their permits planning.
        
        The association said in a statement on Wednesday the new rules were "unjustified, disproportionate and unsuitable to address overtourism and housing shortages", and that the decree had been "adopted urgently and without any period of public consultation".
        
        The EHHA hopes that Brussels will also open a formal infringement procedure against Spain, one of the world's most visited countries.