Airbnb and similar apps and services many have reinvented the accommodation sector for tourists, but there has been a huge backlash from locals against such services. The latest to join the global movement against a tourist takeover of spaces is Barcelona.
The office of Mayor Ada Colau has proposed a new rule that will let locals rent rooms in their homes only if the stays are for 30 days or more. If the rule goes through, landlords in the city will be permanently banned from renting out private rooms for short-term stays.
The move is part of a wider set of measures that is being considered in order to protect potential long-term housing from being monopolised by tourist-oriented rentals.
According to a report in CityLab, if the new rules are passed, Barcelona will have some of the strictest controls on vacation rentals of any city in the world. The city has taken several measures to limit tourist housing through platforms like Airbnb.