Airbnb in a flap: Rental big asks Barcelona to ‘rethink’ new restrictions.
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Vacationer flats in Barcelona face extinction by 2028 – however at what price?
Airbnb has slammed Barcelona’s plans to axe vacationer flats by 2028, urging town council to “rethink” its restrictions. The vacation rental juggernaut made its fiery plea in a letter to Mayor Jaume Collboni, marking the tenth anniversary of town’s moratorium on new licenses for short-term lets.
‘The plan’s not working!’
The web platform didn’t maintain again, branding the decade-old guidelines “ineffective.” Airbnb claims the measures have finished little to resolve Barcelona’s housing disaster or curb mass tourism. As a substitute, it accused the resort business of inflating costs to report highs whereas 1000’s of vacationer flats sit in regulatory limbo.
Vacationers out, residents in?
The newest plan would see licenses for over 10,000 vacationer flats in Barcelona disappear by the yr 2028. The aim is to show them into much-needed houses for native residents.
The mayor has touted this transfer as a long-term answer to town’s housing scarcity, mentioning that home costs have soared by a whopping 68% over the previous decade, whereas wages have crawled up simply 38%.
However Airbnb isn’t shopping for it. The rental big hit again, mentioning what it known as a obvious contradiction: whereas town vows to crack down on mass tourism, it’s additionally eyeing up area for five,000 shiny new resort rooms.
‘Actual options, not plasters’
Airbnb says it’s performed by the foundations, boasting that it has scrubbed over 7,000 unlawful listings since 2018. Nevertheless, the platform insists that Barcelona’s method is all mistaken. Of their letter, they declare that what’s wanted are ‘actual options to the housing and tourism downside’, including that its service helps 1000’s of locals who depend on further revenue from letting out their houses.
Vacationer or tenant? The battle’s removed from over.
With town council doubling down on its plans, Airbnb’s future in Barcelona is wanting more and more shaky. Will town follow its weapons and boot out vacationer flats for good? Or will the rental big’s sharp phrases make Collboni & Co. rethink their technique? Is that this what Barcelona and Spain as an entire want, or is it a flawed plan?
This battle is way from over, and it might be a ‘costume rehearsal’ for what is going to unfold in the remainder of Spain.
One factor is for certain, Barcelona’s residents and guests alike might be watching intently.
Keep tuned for extra.
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