Amendment to the PGM to regulate temporary rentals

The amendment is aimed at distinguishing and prioritising the usual and permanent use of housing over temporary uses and enable the City Council to regulate it and condition its implementation. The amendment establishes that uses other than usual and permanent residency can be prohibited, limited or restricted through urban planning and municipal by-laws. At the same time, specific restrictions will be able to be imposed by districts, neighbourhoods and buildings to protect their residential character.

The amendment to the General Metropolitan Plan defines the various uses of housing as:

• Usual or permanent: with no limitations in all areas where the use of housing is permitted. The amendment also establishes that the permanent rental of rooms must give all people who live in them the right to the communal services needed to guarantee their habitability.
• Temporary: the intention is to regulate this use and prevent the current fraud with temporary rentals, incentivising their use as residential lets. Temporary use for work reasons, medical reasons, studying or similar activities will have to be justified with documents where the applicable legislation requires this.
• Second homes

The amendment comes from an agreement between the municipal government and the group Barcelona en Comú within the framework of a working group on regulating temporary rentals. The move was initially approved by the government commission on 5 December, with final approval expected in the second quarter of 2025. Once the amendment gets through this stage, the City Council will need to address the resulting planning to be used to regulate and limit temporary lets.