Barcelona provisionally approves property tax hike of up to 150% for tourist flats

Barcelona City Council has provisionally approved a property tax surcharge of up to 150% for owners of tourist flats in the city.

The measure was approved at an extraordinary council meeting on Thursday, with the support of the Socialists (PSC), Barcelona en Comú and Esquerra Republicana (ERC). Junts abstained, while the People's Party (PP) and Vox voted against it, maintaining the positions they had taken when the measure was considered by the Economy and Finance Committee last week.

Under the proposal, backed by Spanish government Decree-Law 26/2026, owners holding one tourist accommodation licence (HUT) will face a 50% surcharge on property tax (IBI).

The surcharge will rise to 100% for owners with two or three licences and 150% for those with four or more.

The measure aims to discourage tourist accommodation ahead of the planned withdrawal of tourist flat licences by 2028. The city council intends to give the measure final approval at its December plenary session.

If approved, the surcharge would first become payable on 31 December 2027 and would then be charged annually.

The proposal would amend Barcelona’s 2027 tax regulations in line with the Spanish government’s decree-law, which introduces measures to address difficulties in accessing housing.