Mayor Jaume Collboni made the announcement at a press conference this Wednesday, where he urged the Catalan Government to “be very precise with sanctions and inspection” to pursue fraud in these types of contracts. According to the council, seasonal rentals have become the “escape route” to bypass rent price limitations in the Catalan capital.
This decision follows a 60% increase in seasonal rental contracts in Barcelona between March 2024 and March 2025, already representing 28% of all contracts signed in the second quarter of 2025. This increase, according to Collboni, shows that a “fraudulent loophole” was occurring to evade price regulation.
“"We will work in the first instance to follow the application of the new regulation and pursue fraudsters."
The City Council intends to continue working in parallel on the Metropolitan General Plan Modification (MPGM), agreed upon between the government (PSC) and BComú, which could prohibit, limit, or restrict this increasingly widespread modality. The mayor congratulated the parliamentary groups (PSC, ERC, Comuns, and CUP) promoting the law modification, calling it a “highly demanded measure by the municipal government”.
Furthermore, Collboni celebrated the approval of the European Affordable Housing Plan and highlighted the “success” of the Mayors for Housing initiative, spearheaded by Barcelona. This platform has ensured that housing is fully included in the European agenda, emphasizing the adoption of the concept of a stressed area and the recognition of the speculation problem.
