Politics
Eixample District Council Passes Short-Term Rental Cap Ordinance, Matching Seville Limits
The July 7 vote sets a five percent cap on tourist apartments within Eixample residential buildings, applying to an estimated 4,200 units from January 2027 onward.
How we reported this
The Eixample District Council approved the short-term rental ordinance on July 7 by a 12-5 margin during its monthly session. The measure limits tourist apartments to five percent of total residential units in any building, directly affecting property owners and long-term tenants across the 7.5 square kilometre district.
Housing pressure has intensified since the 2024 update to Barcelona's citywide rental registry. District records show average monthly rents reached €1,250 for a two-bedroom flat in the first quarter of 2026, prompting the council to revisit licensing rules that previously allowed up to eight percent of units per building.
Effects on Eixample Residents
Residents in multi-family blocks will see new licence applications screened against the five percent threshold. Building administrators must submit annual occupancy reports to the district housing office, and existing licences that exceed the cap will not be renewed after December 2026. Local advocates note this could free up units previously used for 90-day tourist stays for standard rental contracts.
Policy analysts say the five percent ceiling aligns Eixample with Seville's 2025 municipal rules and falls below Bilbao's six percent district average. Enforcement will be funded through the 2026 district budget line of €2.4 million allocated for housing inspections and digital registry upgrades.
Implementation Timeline
The government says the policy will begin with a six-month registration window starting August 2026. Property owners must apply for renewal or conversion by the end of that period, after which the district will conduct random audits. Fines for non-compliance range from €3,000 to €10,000 per unit, as stated in the ordinance text.
Next steps include publication of the updated registry on the district website by October 2026 and coordination meetings with the Barcelona housing department on data sharing. The first compliance report is scheduled for release in March 2027.