Badalona plans to eliminate all tourist flats in 2028 and distances itself from Barcelona

The mayor of Badalona announces the complete closure of tourist flats in 2028. The measure seeks to protect residents and prevent the supply from moving from Barcelona. The municipal debate is intensifying ahead of the imminent end of licences. The local government is preparing even more restrictive regulations.

The decision by the mayor of Badalona to close all tourist flats in 2028 is shaking up the metropolitan landscape and putting those who live in or plan to move around the Barcelona area on alert. The measure, unprecedented in a large municipality governed by the PP, responds to fears that the ban in Barcelona and other neighbouring cities will shift tourist pressure to Badalona, altering the daily life of its neighbourhoods.

The announcement came amid a municipal debate, just as the Generalitat expects current tourist-flat licences to expire in 2028. Councils will then have to decide whether to allow, restrict or ban this activity. The mayor argued that, although the decision does not fit with his party’s ideological line, it prioritises residents’ wellbeing and urban cohesion, preventing Badalona from becoming a refuge for tourist accommodation pushed out of other areas.

During the session, the opposition and several neighbourhood groups called for immediate measures, such as approving a new planning regulation that limits the opening of new tourist flats, especially in view of the imminent lifting of the licensing moratorium. They also demanded that Badalona join the total ban in 2028, following Barcelona’s example. However, the motion did not pass because of disagreements over the details.

The local government, with an absolute majority, is already preparing regulations that will make it virtually impossible to open new tourist flats before 2028. Among the restrictions: they will only be allowed in entire buildings, away from narrow streets and more than 300 metres apart. The aim is to immediately curb the proliferation of this type of accommodation and anticipate the changes approaching across Catalonia.

Badalona, Catalonia’s second most populous city, has experienced sustained growth in the supply of tourist flats in recent years, especially in areas close to the coast and well connected to Barcelona. Pressure from residents and concern over rising rents have led the council to take pioneering measures, such as price regulation and now the commitment to the complete closure of this accommodation. The debate over the tourism model and its impact on urban life remains open and promises to shape the municipal agenda in the coming years.