Tourist flats or tourist homes are a business and, as such, their purchase or sale should be studied. The tourist licenses granted by the city council of Barcelona were granted in perpetuity and as a consequence of the different regulations and requirements of the city council, more and more professionalized companies have been created to manage this type of real estate. Currently, there are some 10,265 licenses in force in Barcelona city, although many of these are not being exploited.
Contact us. We are specialists in buying and selling tourist flats in Barcelona.
At Arquitectura Residencial we are specialists in the sale of this type of business. The valuation of a tourist apartment depends on the type of property, its location and the profitability obtained from it.
If you are looking for an investment opportunity or have a property with a tourist license for sale, do not hesitate to contact us: we will accompany you in the transaction.
Currently, in Catalonia there is a moratorium on the granting of tourist licenses (DECRET LLEI 3/23, 7 Novembre de mesures urgents sobre el règim urbanístic dels habitatges turístics). The Barcelona City Council has to adapt to the new decree on tourist housing of the Generalitat. At the moment, no new licenses are being granted in any area, although the transfer of active licenses is possible.
A tourist apartment or flats (VUT) is a real estate property that is fully transferred by its owner directly or through a management company for its immediate use, against payment of an economic consideration.
Tourist occupancy must be for a continuous period of less than 31 days. This is important, since higher rents would be temporary rentals that currently have a price limit by decree. In order to be able to rent a tourist property, it must have the necessary services for its immediate use. In addition, the relevant activity license must have been previously applied for. The activity is regulated by Royal Decree-Law 7/2019, of March 1, on urgent housing and rental measures The powers are assigned to the autonomous administrations, so that each of them has a particular regulation. In the case of Catalonia all the information is published by the Generalitat de Catalunya in the DOGC no. 8195, 06/08/2020.
The VUT license for tourist use is requested at the town hall where the property is located and is registered by the Generalitat through a Registration Number in the Tourism Registry of Catalonia (NIRTC).
To consult the current licenses, you can consult the list of tourism companies and establishments of the Departament d’Empresa i Treball de la Generalitat de Catalunya.
In turn, the Barcelona City Council has a page where you can check whether a tourist accommodation has a valid license: PEUAT activity census (Special Urban Plan for the regulation of tourist accommodation establishments, youth hostels, tourist housing, shared homes and collective educational residences for temporary accommodation in the city of Barcelona).
Currently, and due to the last ruling against the Barcelona City Council in which more than 1,000 new licenses had to be granted, there are 10,265 licenses in force. However, many of the homes that have licenses are not being used.
Basically, the difference is that tourist accommodations are managed by a company and are located in a block of apartments or formed by a group of houses. Initially, tourist apartments were individual flats managed by a private individual, directly or indirectly, in exchange for an economic consideration for a seasonal stay and under conditions of immediate availability. Management has become more professional and, as it is more demanding in terms of mandatory services, in many cases service companies specialized in tourist rentals are subcontracted.
The profitability obtained with tourist homes has led many investors to acquire a large number of properties and, in turn, companies specialized in the management of this type of activity have appeared, taking care of check-in, check-out, cleaning and possible incidents.
The owner of a tourist flat or the company to which he/she delegates the management of the rental must have a 24-hour operating telephone number to resolve queries or incidents for users or neighbors. Said number must be visible at the front door of the property. In addition:
The requirements to be met are set forth in Decree 75/2020, of August 4, or the regulations that may replace it. In addition, it must comply with Law 18/2007, of December 28, 2007, on the right to housing and subsequent laws.
As a result of the needs of this type of real estate, interesting devices have emerged to facilitate management:
Tourist cities such as Barcelona or Madrid are good places to invest in tourist flats, due to the influx of tourists all year round and the presence of trade fairs. The prices of tourist flats adapt to the demand, so during the MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS prices are much higher, for example.
In general, 2-3 bedroom apartments in tourist cities and close to points of interest are the most appreciated by travelers and, therefore, have higher occupancy and profitability.
The host or the company that manages the rental is very relevant in the business, since positive reviews attract more customers. The advertising, presentation of the property and the reviews can make or break a tourist apartment.
The best properties for tourist use in Barcelona are those that are close to areas of tourist interest. These are concentrated in the Eixample, including Sagrada Familia and Sant Antoni, or in the Old Town. While the growth of licenses has been exponential, and the City Council through the drafting of the PEUAT intends to limit licenses to avoid tourist crowds and inconvenience to neighbors.
The special urban plan for tourist accommodation was approved in the plenary session of December 23, 2021 and came into force on January 23, 2022 with its publication in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona.
The special urban development plan determines 4 specific zones that are established according to the density of places currently offered, the saturation of public space and the urban morphology of the area and with the clear intention of reducing the number of licenses in areas of high concentration. Currently, new licenses are paralyzed until the City Council incorporates the new regulations drafted on November 7, 2023 by the Generalitat de Catalunya.
Zone 1 is the most attractive for tourists, together with part of zone 2. In case of investing in a tourist flats, these two areas are the most recommendable. ZONE 1 concentrates more than 60% of the supply of tourist housing in Barcelona and the city council does not allow the opening of more accommodations even if the activity ceases in any of them. However, it does make it possible to open a new one in zone 3 when a tourist dwelling is cancelled.
This area is quite interesting for investment, especially Sagrada Familia and Gracia. The municipality allows the opening of new tourist dwellings when one with the same number of vacancies is removed from the census. Distance and radial density criteria are established according to the establishments.
In this zone, new establishments and the expansion of existing ones will be allowed. It is an area of sustained growth. Provided that the established maximum density is not exceeded. Establishments may be opened if they are closed in zone 2 or zone 4, up to a maximum of 370.
They may only be located in blocks whose density does not exceed a ratio of 1.48% between the number of VUTs and the number of dwellings (average of the maintenance area) or to fill an entire building with a maximum of ten VUTs (and, in this case, with non-dwelling uses).
It is a low density zone divided into 4 large areas.
In order to sell a tourist flat, all the legal documentation used for the sale of a flat without a license is required:
And it will also have to be added:
The license is granted to the owner of the property and may only be transferred to the new owner. Once the property has been acquired, the new owner must notify the municipality of the change of ownership within 30 days.
To sell a tourist flats it is advisable to go to a specialized company that values the license of activities correctly. The price, logically, is marked by the price of the property itself; the valuation of this at market price, but a plus must be added, corresponding to the expectations of additional income that will be obtained with the license.
It is also necessary to take into account the activity that the flat has had to date. Properties operated by a well-rated host have more bookings and therefore end up being more profitable. Owners can demonstrate the profitability of their business to date. The portals themselves allow you to download statistical data.
Since the Special Urban Plan for Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT) has come into force, preventing the growth of the number of tourist licenses in Barcelona, the so-called tourist flats have become highly sought after by business-savvy investors.
Furthermore, in order to carry out a successful tourist activity without “surprises” in the future, a potential buyer of a tourist flat, apart from reviewing the standard documentation of any sale, you will need to pay attention to some extra details, such as the existence of incidents related to the flat pending resolution at Barcelona City Council, or complaints from neighbours reflected in the latest minutes of the meetings of the community of owners. And, of course, it will check if the license is in force. https://portaldogc.gencat.cat/utilsEADOP/PDF/8195/1857521.pdf
Finally, unlike the sale of a property without a license, there is an additional step that consists in the transfer of the license itself to the tourist property. It is also important to take into account the contractual relationship that may exist if the flats were being managed through a tourist housing company, as well as to negotiate the management of confirmed reservations and their collection in order to avoid conflicts in the future.
The marketing of a vacation home begins with the presentation of the property, the services, the quality of the photographs, and the attention that will be given to the guest. Tourist homes are differentiated by their characteristics, but also by their management. Autonomous arrival service, maintenance, cleaning, etc.
Most of the owners of vacation properties advertise them on the main portals:
Airbnb.es is the most used by travelers and many hosts rely on this portal for all reservations. Others, on the other hand, diversify and use: booking.com, hometogo.com, trivago.com, rentalia.com, among others.
There is software specialized in sending advertising and managing automatic reservations in multiple portals, such as avaibook.com or holidu.com
Running a business in one of these portals requires experience. Not only because of the quality of the ads, but also because the reviews made by the users will be of vital importance in the result of the ads. In addition, prices have to be adapted to the times of higher demand, for example, when there are relevant fairs in the city, prices rise, and an expert host knows how to increase the profitability of your business.
For this reason, buying a property that has very positive reviews and a superhost has an added value when deciding on which property to invest in.
Many owners carry the management in a very personal way, but others delegate to specialized companies that take control of the entire business in exchange for a percentage of the price.
There are local and global management companies, operating in several cities and even countries.
With the proliferation of tourist flats and the professionalization of management, companies dedicated solely to the management of tourist flats were created.
The management companies take care of all advertising, reservation management, check-in and check-out, manage guest incidents and settle municipal taxes, maintenance, cleaning and laundry, among other tasks.
Some examples of management companies in Barcelona:
With the proliferation of the tourist use housing (VUT), associations have been born to defend the interests of the owners and keep them informed of the changes in the regulations.
Born in 2004. The association of tourist accommodations in Barcelona has been giving voice and legal advice to the owners of tourist accommodations for 20 years. Its members represent 20% of the tourism arriving in Barcelona, generating almost 300 million Euros in taxes.
They have agreements with professional service providers directly related to their activity;
Catalan Federation of tourist apartments. It represents 380 companies offering approximately 20,000 apartments; the largest legalized offer of tourist apartments in Barcelona, Girona and Tarragona.
“The main objective and commitment of the entity is the firm defense of the sector and its representation before public administrations and other economic sectors in everything related to the legislation and legalization of the sector. We work tirelessly in the fight against illegality and we are equally combative in the face of rules and regulations that hinder the sector’s progress.
Our mission is, in short, the promotion of a responsible and sustainable tourism development model, encouraging quality tourism and a good balance between city and tourism.”
Contact us and we will inform you about the flats we have in our portfolio.
At present, there are companies that are looking to expand their tourist housing stock. Regulatory changes are causing them to be more cautious in the selection of the properties they purchase. Therefore, the valuation of the license is already discounting the possibility that the duration may be limited to 10 years.
What does an investor in tourist apartments look for?
Currently, they are looking for a return of approximately 8-10%
Central location in Barcelona or areas with a lower density of licenses and higher profitability
Homes that are easily achievable and recover the investment in a period of approximately 10 years.
Contact us. We are specialists in buying and selling tourist flats in Barcelona.
Most owners who decide to sell an flat do so either because they are unable to attend professionally or because of the increase in income tax that this activity represents. As it is not professionally dedicated, the income is added to your taxable base, increasing taxes.
If you are thinking of selling or buying a property for tourist use do not hesitate to contact us, we are specialists in apartments for tourist use in Barcelona.
This is an urban plan prepared by the city council of Barcelona which establishes the criteria to be followed by all tourist establishments.
In our web page we explain you how it works in relation to the housing for tourist use.
Remember that the license can only be transferred to the new owner of the flats.
The value of the license depends on the characteristics of the property, surface, bedrooms, state as well as the profitability that can be obtained with this.
It is important to know the maximum occupancy indicated in the certificate of occupancy, among other factors.
In addition, in the case of Barcelona it is important to take into account the density of tourist properties in the area.
The new decree of the Generalitat establishes maximum densities that the city councils will have to consider.
If you are thinking of selling, we can study your case. Contact us for an appraisal of your property for tourist use.
The tourist licenses granted by the Barcelona City Council until November 8, 2023 were granted in perpetuity.
However, the Generalitat de Catalunya published approved a decree on November 7, 2023 establishing a new regulation for tourist housing in Catalunya.
From November 8, 2023, new licenses will be granted for 5 years, renewable.
At the moment there is a moratorium throughout Catalonia until each municipality adapts to the new regulations.
The Town Councils will have to draft the new town planning regulations that define both the characteristics of the property and the density of tourist housing that the population will accept.
The Generalitat establishes a density of 1 dwelling per 100 inhabitants.
The previous licenses granted in perpetuity, according to the decree, must be adapted before November 8, 2028 to the new regulations, by requesting the urban planning certificate. In addition, the holders of such licenses may request their renewal for 5 more years, until November 8, 2033.
In any case, it will be each City Council that will be in the position of having to compensate all those entrepreneurs who consider that their license has been expropriated.
The experts calculate approximate indemnities between 10 and 15 years of invoicing, which in some cases can be between 200,000 Euros and 300,000 Euros.
The Decree has already been appealed in several instances and a resolution is expected before the expiration date.
Yes.
Licenses can be transferred without problems to the new owner of the property.
The owners of tourist flats have reacted in two ways.
Some are taking the opportunity to acquire new licenses, because they consider that this decree does not have a chance.
Others, however, especially individuals who do not operate the activity or who find it very burdensome in terms of taxes, are taking the opportunity to sell.
It is important to note that licenses can only be transferred to the new owner of the property.
The City Council of Barcelona facilitates the process online.
All the documentation can be attached once the sale of the property has been made public.
If you have a licensed flats and you are thinking of selling, do not hesitate to contact us.
We can make you a professional valuation.
There is currently a moratorium until the City Council adapts the regulations in force until now to the new regional regulation on tourist housing(DECRET LLEI 3/2023, of November 7).
No new licenses are granted, but current licenses can be transferred without problems.
The PEUAT in force until the publication of the decree already limited the granting of licenses in almost all of Barcelona.
Jaume Collboni’s mandate expires in June 2027, before the deadline set by the decree of the Generalitat de Catalunya for the renewal of tourist housing licenses.
Undoubtedly, the outcome of the municipal elections will mark the fate of the current tourist licenses.
The licenses currently in force were granted in perpetuity by the different parties in the municipal government in each period.
It is true that they were granted without taking into account any type of urban planning criteria, or density of tourists per neighborhood.
Experts agree that if you want to withdraw licenses you will have to compensate the owners.
The last SPECIAL URBAN PLAN FOR TOURIST ACCOMMODATION, despite its shortcomings, came to order and control the implementation of tourist accommodation in the city.
The PEUAT, establishes logical criteria to avoid agglomerations of tourists in residential dwellings.
In our opinion, the PLAN arrived late, when the density in some districts is already excessive.
At present, licenses cannot be eliminated with the stroke of a pen without compensating the current holders.
The announcement seems to be more the result of an attempt to approach the left-wing parties to reach an agreement with the government than a conscientious study of the price that it could cost in compensation to all the people of Barcelona.
The mandate of Jaume Collboni expires in June 2027, before the deadline set by the decree of the Generalitat de Catalunya for the renewal of licenses for tourist housing.
Undoubtedly, the outcome of the municipal elections will mark the fate of the current tourist licenses.
The new regulation is intended to regulate the granting of licenses for tourist housing in towns considered to be under stress.
They are those that meet one of these requirements.
The moratorium is in force until each municipality adapts its regulations to the new decree.
However, the current tourist flats are still being sold without problems.
Yes.
Current licenses are transferable.
The licenses are active until November 8, 2028, at which time a 5-year renewal can be requested.
Professionals engaged in the activity of tourist flats have specialized lawyers who will apply for compensation in case the revocation of the licenses becomes effective.
The Generalitat de Catalunya in the decree establishes a list of municipalities that can be considered as stressed areas in which this urban planning license must be requested.
Of course, when each municipality has defined it. Currently, there are 262 municipalities decreed as stressed areas.
This list will be reviewable every 5 years.
Some reputable economists agree that the municipalities that granted perpetual licenses will have to compensate and probably do not have enough budget. In this article you can see Santiago Niño Becerra’s opinion on the elimination of tourist use licenses.
In this sense, one of the clear solutions that have emerged is not only to regulate the tourist flats, but to eliminate them completely in the coming years, as they want to do in the city of Barcelona.
Becerra, however, opts for ” regulate, prohibit obviously not”.. Putting the example of Barcelona, in which “officially there are 9,600 tourist flats”, he defends that “the problem of tourist overcrowding will not be solved”, besides that, with irony, he evidences another problem that could arise if they decide not to renew this type of accommodation, since, in fact, these licenses are not supposed to expire. “The lawsuits are going to go all the way to Norway all lined up in a row,” he says.
Gonzalo Bernardos’ opinion is that the City Council will not have the budget to compensate all the owners of tourist licenses.
In the case of Barcelona, the economics professor, although he has stressed that Collboni seems to him “a great politician”, has considered that in the decision to eliminate the tourist flats he is “very wrong”.
“He has caught the populist vein,” he said.
In the plans of the Barcelona City Council enters the cancellation of the licenses currently granted, a major problem, since, according to Bernardos, “people who have a tourist license in Barcelona, have an indefinite character“. These do not expire, so if the city council decides “to expropriate the 9,900 licenses, it will have to spend a lot of money, because in the courts the city council will have to lose. in the courts the city council has everything to loseHe ended his speech by stating that “the city council has everything to lose in the courts.
If you have a tourist flats in Barcelona, it is advisable to seek advice from a specialized lawyer. Whether you want to sell or buy, you can contact us and we will advise you on the best options.
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