Renting in Barcelona continues to grow despite regulation

A report by the Observatori Metropolità de l'Habitatge confirms that rent-price regulation in force since March 2024 has not had a negative effect on the Barcelona-area market. In its first year of application, the stock of rental homes has continued to grow, albeit at a more moderate pace.

The study, published in the Institut Metròpoli yearbook, analyses the market’s evolution over the last two decades and highlights the advance of renting over ownership. Between April and December 2024, the metropolitan area recorded 2,199 new net rental contracts, 780 of them in the city of Barcelona.

Carles Donat, co-director of the Observatori and author of the report, says that the 2025 data maintain a positive trend, although with slower growth. He also recalls that longer periods need to be analysed in order to draw firm conclusions.

The report is not confined to new contracts, but calculates the difference between contracts signed and contracts ended. The result shows a net increase, a trend already observed since 2022, before the regulation.

The extension of rental contracts from three to five years in 2019 has helped reduce turnover and give households greater stability.

Among the causes of the growth in renting are tighter access to mortgages, rising prices for owner-occupied housing, growing immigration and delayed youth emancipation. Tax incentives for owners also play a part, with deductions of up to 90% of net profit.

The report identifies the proliferation of seasonal rentals, competition from tourist apartments, the existence of empty homes and the lack of social housing as factors limiting supply. According to the authors, these elements are more decisive than regulation in the behaviour of Barcelona’s rental supply.