The veto on tourist apartments continues to spread across the metropolitan map. After Barcelona, now it is L’Hospitalet de Llobregat who has decided to stand up and put an end to tourist accommodation throughout its municipality.
The measure, approved by the plenary this week, seeks to recover housing for neighbors and curb a phenomenon that has strained entire neighborhoods.
Goodbye to more than 500 apartments in 5 years
L’Hospitalet will apply the Generalitat’s regulation of 2024, which allows municipalities to decide whether or not to maintain housing for tourist use. In their case, the verdict is clear: there will be no tourist apartments from 2028. Until then, the current ones will be able to operate thanks to the five-year transitional regime provided by the regulation. After that, they will cease to exist.
The modification of the General Metropolitan Plan (PGM) aims to ensure that “the available land is intended for permanent housing” and not for tourist uses. A decision that, according to the consistory, responds to the need to protect the model of a diverse and sustainable city.
According to the latest data from the Generalitat, there are 522 registered tourist homes in L’Hospitalet, concentrated mainly in Collblanc, Torrassa and Santa Eulàlia: areas well connected to the airport and Camp Nou, where tourism has skyrocketed.
However, the real number could be much higher: there are still many illegal apartments, operating without a license.