“We are not as crowded as Barcelona”. The proliferation and regulation of vacational rentals in Madrid and Barcelona

Abstract

The 2015–2019 term has been characterized by the attempts of regulating the vacational rentals in Madrid and Barcelona. The social pressure motivated the approval of the Special Touristic Accommodation Plan (PEUAT) of Barcelona in January 2017. Similarly, Madrid approved the Special Accommodation Plan (PEH) two years after. However, the economic agents and part of the administration advocated for a softer regulation under the premise of “not being as crowded as Barcelona” —despite admitting certain saturation of the housing market. But, is that assumption correct? This work provides an updated review of both plans revisiting their social and political contexts. To do so, the plans have been compared with respect to the supply offered on AirBnB —analyzing its characteristics and spatial distribution along the term to evaluate both the degree of ‘touristification’ of the housing market, and the timeliness and efficacy of the regulations passed. The results remark that both plans try to contain residential touristification in the central districts. However, the disparities among zoning criteria, as well as their reactive approval after the potential consolidation of a professionalized supply of apartments, may have compromised their efficacy.