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Barcelona: Only 13 Active Tourist Apartment Licenses

The city faces a surprisingly low number of authorized tourist establishments as thousands of tourist use dwellings are set to expire.

Generic image of a key with the number 13, symbolizing the low supply of tourist apartments.
IA

Generic image of a key with the number 13, symbolizing the low supply of tourist apartments.

Barcelona has only 13 active licenses for tourist apartment establishments, a figure contrasting with the planned extinction of 10,000 tourist use dwellings by 2028.

The situation regarding tourist accommodations in Barcelona is causing confusion: only 13 tourist apartment (AT) establishments hold an active license city-wide. This figure contrasts with the City Council's objective to eliminate 10,000 tourist use dwelling (HUT) licenses by November 2028, returning them to residential use. The distinction between ATs and HUTs is crucial to understanding this apparent contradiction.
Tourist Use Dwellings (HUTs) are homes temporarily leased for a maximum of 31 days for a fee. They must have a certificate of habitability and meet general housing requirements. They can be scattered across different buildings or concentrated in one block, each requiring its own license. In contrast, Tourist Apartments (ATs) are not considered dwellings but tourist establishments that professionally offer accommodation and services. They do not require a certificate of habitability and are regulated as a hotel modality. ATs are located in entire buildings, which can be contiguous, and collectively hold a single license for all apartments within them, totaling, for example, 783 places across the current 13 licenses.
ATs must comply with additional requirements similar to hotels, such as a minimum 10 m² reception area, an elevator, and cleaning services. HUT managers, on the other hand, must guarantee assistance and maintenance, as well as provide a contact number for queries and incidents. With the planned extinction of HUTs by November 2028, overnight stays in Barcelona will remain possible through ATs and aparthotels, although the scarce supply of ATs might make finding vacancies difficult.
Sources from the hotel sector indicate that the ease of obtaining HUT licenses discouraged the application for AT licenses, which have more stringent requirements. Currently, the creation of new ATs is restricted by the Special Urban Plan for Tourist Accommodations (PEUAT), which limits the opening of new places in specific areas of the city where growth is still permitted.
The 13 active tourist apartment licenses in Barcelona are distributed across various neighborhoods, including Camp de l’Arpa del Clot (18 places), Vila de Gràcia (98 places), Eixample (160 and 100 places respectively), Sant Gervasi – Galvany (30 and 36 places), El Clot (18 places), the Gòtic (69 places), Sagrada Família (20 places), Sants - Badal (36 places), the Raval (170 places), and Sant Genís dels Agudells (10 places).

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