Barcelona City Council has presented a report on the impact of rent regulation in Barcelona during the second meeting of the temporary commission for the study of housing issues. The data, presented by the Councillor for Urban Planning, Mobility and Housing, Laia Bonet, analysed the impact of the Stressed Market Areas. Complaints and sanctions collected by the Consumer Service and the Housing Legal Service were also presented.
The meeting was also attended by experts in the field, such as Ester Capella, former Minister of Territori of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Carles Donat, technical director of the Barcelona Metropolitan Housing Observatory, Carme Alcarazo, spokesperson of the Sindicat de Llogateres, and Sergi Llagostera, president of the Association of Owners of Catalonia.
Increasing stability of rented households
The report highlights that the price cap approved in March 2024 is working, with the average rental price falling by 5% compared to the first quarter, reaching €1,133.30 in the second quarter (-3.2% year-on-year). In terms of new contracts, the downward trend has continued since 2022, with 7,484 registered in the third quarter of 2024, 58 fewer than in the previous quarter. This decline is linked to the increase in current contracts, which is favoured by the stability of households resulting from the extension of the minimum duration of rental contracts to 5 or 7 years, introduced by the legislative amendment of 2019. Similarly, the turnover rate continues to fall, reinforcing this stability.
The municipal study also shows that the number of multi-family dwellings has increased to 6.2% of households in Barcelona, especially among low-income households. The districts with the highest incidence are Sants-Montjuïc, Gràcia, L’Eixample and Ciutat Vella. In addition, between April and July 2024, the Housing Offices received 924 requests for advice on renting and the regulation of the Stressed Market Areas.
In the light of these data, Laia Bonet wanted to emphasise that the cap on rental prices “is working, but it is not enough”. “The first step was to stop the escalation of rental prices and, according to the data presented, this has been achieved. Now it is necessary to consolidate the downward trend and this means increasing the supply of housing in the city”. Bonet also clarified that the most important issue at the moment is the regulation of seasonal rentals: “We need a regulation that is effective and has sufficient legal security to put an end to the fraud that is taking place. That is why we are working on the issue of what is the tool at the municipal level to provide that legal certainty to deal with this fraud”.
The Council shows its commitment to guaranteeing the right to housing
The aim of the temporary Commission for the Study of the Housing Problem is to analyse the current situation with a view to increasing the stock of protected public housing and combating the housing crisis, as well as to discuss innovations and collect proposals from bodies to achieve a housing pact.
The creation of this new working space, which will take place over six sessions, demonstrates the city’s commitment to guaranteeing the right to housing in the city. A further step towards involving all possible actors and collecting proposals to move towards a housing pact that includes the metropolitan and national vision, the public-private and public-community dimensions.
The third session will discuss the measures to limit and intervene in the free market in order to guarantee the affordability of housing, with the aim of combating property speculation.