News
Regular rentals shrink in Barcelona after price caps
Finding a stable rental flat in Barcelona has become even harder. Price controls have curbed some increases, but the regular market is slowing down while seasonal contracts, room rentals, and other arrangements with less protection for tenants are on the rise.
Data from the Generalitat reflect a clear fall in the signing of new contracts. Between 2021 and 2025, the volume went from more than 167,000 transactions to just over 108,000, a reduction that is particularly noticeable in Barcelona and in municipalities under the greatest housing pressure.
The rental housing stock continues to grow, albeit at a much slower pace. On the ground, the result is a tighter supply and greater competition every time a flat with affordable conditions comes onto the market, especially in neighbourhoods better connected by Metro, train or bus.
Some owners have moved their homes into seasonal or room-by-room rentals. These arrangements allow more flexibility and, in some cases, circumvent restrictions in the ordinary residential market, leaving fewer options for those who need a stable contract to live there all year round.
The price of a room in Barcelona is now double what it was a decade ago. At the same time, companies that manage shared flats and coliving projects have become more prominent, an increasingly common option for young people, students and workers who cannot afford an entire home.
The pressure does not affect everyone equally. Some 33% of tenants who pay market prices live below the poverty threshold, a proportion three times higher than that of owners. Half of people aged between 18 and 29 live in rented accommodation, as do 41% of those aged between 30 and 44.
The gap also reaches families headed by people born abroad: 57% live in rented accommodation. For many of them, the shortage of standard contracts adds further obstacles to the housing search, from demands for high payslips to additional guarantees.
The Generalitat acknowledges that limiting prices is not enough if affordable housing does not increase and diversion towards less regulated contracts is not controlled. The key will be whether the new measures succeed in bringing flats back into stable rental housing or whether Barcelona continues to move towards a market that is increasingly fragmented and difficult to sustain.