The mayor of Barcelona, Spain, has pledged to eliminate short-term tourist rentals in the city within five years.
Socialist Jaume Collboni told a press conference that he did not plan to renew any of the 10,101 tourist licenses issued to landlords when they expire in November 2028.
Mr Collboni said the apartments were currently advertised on platforms such as Airbnb and Homeaway, but would be open to locals.
Politicians opposed to the move accused him of undermining property rights.
Mr Collboni said the measure was “equivalent to building 10,000 new homes”.
To justify the plan, he said rents had risen 70% in the past 10 years and had become unaffordable.
“More housing supply is needed and the measures we are proposing today will provide more supply,” he added.
Barcelona has faced a limited housing supply for many years.
Politicians blame high tourism and the city’s growing status as a tech hub attracting foreign workers.
New construction has failed to keep up with growing demand, pushing up prices.
In response to Mr Collboni’s statement, some left-wing MPs said 2028 was too far away for those they said were being forced to leave the city.
Janet Sanz asked: “Can we wait until 2028?”
Right-wing politicians accuse Mr Coboni of undermining property rights.
“Barcelona’s city council cannot resemble the Bolivarian regime,” wrote Dani Sirera, leader of the Barcelona People’s Party, referring to the Venezuelan government that has been accused of confiscating property.
The Barcelona Tourist Apartments Association said the change would result in apartments being illegally rented out to tourists.
The report added that the policy was a “smokescreen” for Mr Coboni’s failed housing policy.
Thousands of people have staged protests in parts of Spain, including the Canary Islands, in recent months against the impact of mass tourism, which they claim damages the environment and drives away locals.
