The situation occurs at the Carrer Tarragona 84 building, which became a symbol of the legal loophole opened by a 2019 ruling by the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC). This ruling forced the Barcelona City Council to accept nearly a thousand tourist licenses that were believed to have been halted.
“"First we managed to stop 78 licenses. Now we have managed to extend 10 contracts for 3 years and, therefore, prevent families from having to leave. But we will not stop here: we will fight to remove all apartments from the tourist market, recover their residential use, and guarantee that all residents stay home."
The agreement, reached with the help of the Socialist Housing Union of Catalonia (SHSC), represents a shift in trend in a block where agreements to retain residents had previously been impossible. Earlier efforts had already prevented the granting of 78 of the 120 tourist licenses requested by the property.
From the City Council, the Fourth Deputy Mayor for Housing, Jordi Valls, assessed the outcome as proof that municipal policies are taking effect. Valls cited the goal of extinguishing all tourist licenses by 2028 and the regulation of seasonal rentals as key factors causing investors to analyze their business models "more carefully."
“"Those who want to come to the city to modify a block of flats to obtain 22% profitability and disregard the neighbors who are there, are not welcome."
