Badalona to ban tourist apartments citywide before summer

Mayor Xavier García Albiol announces a total ban to prevent the city from becoming a tourism refuge for neighboring areas.

Generic image of tourist apartment keys in a residential street.
IA

Generic image of tourist apartment keys in a residential street.

The Mayor of Badalona, Xavier García Albiol, announced on Tuesday that the city will ban all tourist apartments by May to prevent a surge in license applications.

The measure will be presented to the City Council between April and May. Badalona becomes the first major city led by the PP party to implement such a ban, responding to similar restrictions in Barcelona and other nearby municipalities in the metropolitan area.

"Badalona cannot be left alone. It is a matter of common sense."

Xavier García Albiol · Mayor of Badalona
The city currently has 223 legally registered tourist flats according to Generalitat records, although local platforms estimate the real number is much higher. The new regulation aims to make the current temporary moratorium, active since February 2024, permanent before the summer season begins.