The real estate sector in Barcelona is experiencing a significant increase in the number of authorised tourist flats, reaching close to 10,000 in the coming months. This increase is the result of a "judicial loophole" caused by the annulment of the Special Urban Plan for Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT). Court rulings have forced the City Council to authorise new tourist accommodation, reaching 615 and with a forecast of 886 if the pending cases are resolved.
The City Council is concerned about this growth and stresses the need for more regulatory tools. Although they defend the usefulness of the PEUAT as a control tool, they consider that more resources are needed. On the positive side, they welcome the Generalitat's decree to "clean up and limit" the activity of tourist accommodation, especially the provisions that temporarily limit licences and require their renewal.
