Barcelona to raise the IBI surcharge on tourist flats to 150%

Barcelona City Council will raise the IBI surcharge on tourist-use homes to as much as 150%. The measure is supported by the new housing decrees and increases local taxation on this type of property, which already operates under a specific municipal licensing and control regime.

IBI is a municipal property tax paid by owners of real estate. Councils can adjust it within legal limits, and surcharges are used to make certain uses more expensive when the law allows it. In Barcelona, tourist housing has long been at the centre of debate because of its impact on residential supply and neighbourhood coexistence.

For owners of tourist flats, the change may mean a higher annual cost if it is approved and applied through the relevant tax ordinance. For the residential market, the real effect will depend on how owners respond and on the further development of tourist-housing regulation.