A popular city in Spain has announced major changes which could impact Brits when they head abroad. Seville’s City Council has now introduced a crackdown on Airbnb-style rentals, which was announced on Thursday, meaning licences will be severely restricted.
Under the new rule, the number of tourist apartments in each of the city’s 108 neighbourhoods cannot exceed 10% of total homes. Areas already oversaturated with tourists, such as Triana and the historic centre, will not be granted any further licences. The measure was passed with support from right-wing party, Vox, despite opposition from the left-wing coalition.
The Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party argued that the rules should be “tougher and more ambitious”, claiming that 23,000 more tourist accommodations could still be granted in non-saturated areas. However, Urban Planning delegate, Juan de la Rosa, hailed the measure as a “further step” towards making tourism more compatible with local life, acknowledging the industry’s significant contribution to Seville’s economy, accounting for 25% of the city’s GDP.
This move follows a recent outrage from Airbnb owners in Barcelona, who demanded €1 billion (£830m) in compensation after the city council revoked licences for over 10,000 tourist apartments. In June, the mayor of the Catalan capital announced tourist flats would be outlawed by November 2028 in an attempt to relieve the city’s housing crisis.
Rental prices have surged by over 70 percent in just a decade, with many Spaniards blaming the rising costs on short-term rentals destined for holidaymakers. Protestors against mass tourism have long maintained that these holiday lets absorb essential housing and inflate prices, pushing residents out of their hometowns, reports the Express. Landlords, on the other hand, have slammed the new legislation as a rash “populist” move that will undermine local homeowners’ revenue without truly solving the housing shortage.
The Canary Islands initiated protests against excessive tourism on April 20, as tens of thousands took to the streets to voice their discontent regarding tourism’s impact. Further actions followed in subsequent months in top destinations like Malaga, Barcelona, Majorca, and others.