Barcelona Phases Out Tourist Licences by 2028: What It Means for the Rest of Spain

Barcelona will not renew any of its 10,101 active tourist-apartment licences (HUT). All of them will expire in November 2028. Spain's Constitutional Court upheld the legality of this decision in March 2025.

Neighbouring municipalities in the Barcelona metropolitan area — L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Sant Adrià de Besòs, Esplugues, Cornellà, and Sant Feliu de Llobregat — are following the same approach and will not renew their expiring licences either.

Is This a Nationwide Ban?

It is important to understand what this decision actually represents: it is a municipal and regional decision adopted in Catalonia, not a nationwide ban.

Each of Spain's 17 autonomous regions operates its own tourist-rental licensing system under its own name, and the applicable rules can differ significantly from one region to another.

What Already Applies Across Spain?

Since April 2025, a homeowners' association can restrict or completely ban tourist rentals within a residential building if the decision is supported by a three-fifths majority vote.

What About the Costa Blanca?

The region where RentalsPit launched operates under different rules from Barcelona. Tourist-rental licences are still being issued on the Costa Blanca.

However, every coastal municipality — including Benidorm, Calpe, Dénia, Jávea, and Torrevieja — has defined saturation zones where new licences are restricted.

Licences are also no longer issued indefinitely. They are now granted for a five-year term and must be renewed when that period expires.

Practical Takeaway for Property Owners

Headlines about Barcelona do not mean that the Costa Blanca will necessarily follow the same path. However, checking the status and validity of a tourist-rental licence before purchasing a property or applying for renewal is essential, especially in municipalities with designated saturation zones.