El Diario de la Vivienda

Barcelona City Council has approved an increase of up to 150% in property tax for tourist flats when the holder is an owner or company with at least four licences. The measure is therefore aimed at operators with several tourist-use homes. Economist Santiago Niño Becerra has questioned its effectiveness, arguing that it will not deter these owners.

The IBI is the municipal tax levied on ownership of real estate and is paid annually to the local council. In Barcelona, tourist flats require a licence and have long been central to the debate over residential use and pressure in certain neighbourhoods.

For those holding several tourist licences, the change may mean a higher municipal tax burden. Affected owners will need to check how it is reflected in the by-law and in their bills, without assuming that it automatically changes the treatment of other properties.

The tenants’ movement is gaining prominence in the debate over a possible general strike linked to housing. The Tenants’ Union had long been calling for a stoppage on this issue, with support from alternative labour organisations such as the CGT. CC OO and UGT say they had also been considering the idea, although they did not take the final step until Monday.

Housing has become a major focus of social mobilisation because of rising rents and the difficulty of access, especially in large cities. A general strike, however, depends on the involvement of labour unions with broad organising capacity.

For landlords and tenants, this does not in itself mean immediate legal changes. It may increase political pressure for measures on rents, public housing or market regulation, which should be followed according to how the call develops.

The shortage of affordable housing also affects the United Kingdom. In west London, three-bedroom flats are quoted at more than £4,000 a month, while sharing a four-bedroom home can still cost a little over £3,000. In Edinburgh, a five-bedroom flat, often shared by students and about a twenty-minute walk from the historic centre, also does not fall below £3,000, even with shortcomings such as a lack of double glazing.

The problem combines high demand in major cities, limited supply in well-connected areas and a highly strained rental market. London is one of Europe’s most expensive housing markets, and Edinburgh also faces pressure from students, tourism and urban employment.

For Spanish readers, the case shows that rental pressure is not an isolated phenomenon. It has no direct effect here, but it helps place the debate on prices, supply and shared housing in a wider context.