Airbnb rentals banned in European city. The issuance of new licenses has been suspended

The mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, announced last week the suspension of issuing permits to rent apartments to tourists on the Airbnb platform. The ban is to apply for at least one year and apply to owners who apply for a permit for the first time. The reason for the changes introduced is the very bad situation on the rental market. Residents of the town complain about high rents, which amount to over EUR 1,000.

Airbnb ban in Valencia

Although, according to many experts, private Airbnb apartments are increasingly more expensive than rooms in classic hotels, they still have their supporters. Owners of apartments in tourist towns are also willing to rent them to foreign travelers, which is to guarantee them higher income than long-term rental to local residents. In many places, this leads to a disastrous situation on the rental market, which becomes inaccessible to ordinary citizens. In Valencia, where rents have already exceeded EUR 1,000, the decision was made to suspend the issuance of licenses for new rentiers. People who apply to rent apartments to tourists via a popular platform will not receive a positive response for at least a year. The mayor of the Spanish town, María José Catalá, announced the introduction of the ban.

Only for new rentiers

“The new ruling will not affect anyone who has already received a tourism license. The ban applies to first-time applicants,” we read on The Local website. Valencia is not the first city to take such a step. Barcelona stopped issuing new permits for renting private apartments to tourists in 2015, and San Sebastian in spring 2023. Two months ago, due to excessive tourism, the authorities in Amsterdam decided to ban the construction of new hotels.