Given that the Dwellings for Tourist Use (VUT) are being used as a throwing weapon in the electoral campaign, from the Association of Tourist Apartments of Barcelona (APARTUR) we want to point out the following aspects.
In Barcelona there are around 9,500 homes for tourist use, which represents 38% of the total number of places in legal tourist accommodation in the municipality.¹
In turn, the 9,500 VUTs, which belong to 5,000 owners, represent 1.14% of the total number of homes in Barcelona.²
The VUT number has not changed since 2014, when the City Council decreed a moratorium that remains in force to date.
For its part, the City Council's inspection work has reduced illegally rented homes to almost zero³.
It is therefore impossible that the VUTs, which have been the same for nine years, could have influenced the rental price in Barcelona during that period of time.
On the other hand, the number of homes in which other economic activities are carried out (professional offices, consultations, studies, etc.) is much higher than 9,500, and there is no restriction that prevents continuing to change the use of more homes to those activities.
Likewise, the number of empty homes in Barcelona is 10,052⁴.
Each Dwelling for Tourist Use (VUT) generates a tax collection of 3,000 euros per month (between direct and indirect taxes and fees).⁵
The VUTs generate 5,000 direct jobs in Barcelona, with an average salary of €19,151, 14% above the average for the tourism sector⁶.
81% of local businesses consider that housing for tourist use has a beneficial effect on their activity and 61% consider that these clients spend the same or more than those who stay in a hotel⁷.
The amount of the fees and the validity period of the VUT permits are in line with those applicable to any other economic activity; a florist, a grocery store, a pension, a bar or a taxi driver have indefinite permits and pay reasonable fees for processing them.
Incidents caused by VUT in neighboring communities and registered by the City Council are 0.04% of their total overnight stays⁸.
The carbon footprint of a customer staying in a STV is one fifth of the carbon footprint of a customer staying in 5-star hotels⁹.
41% of Barcelonans choose to stay at VUT when they go on vacation outside the city¹⁰.
VUTs are the type of accommodation whose demand is growing the most worldwide and the best valued on the best platforms¹¹.
Sources:
¹Tourism activity report. Observatory of Tourism in Barcelona. 2022
²The impact of rental housing for tourist use in the residential rental market in Barcelona. InAtlas 2017
³The World. J. Sanz. Barcelona City Council 2019
⁴Barcelona City Council Housing Discipline Unit. Apr. 2022
⁵Tax contribution derived from the activity of a dwelling for tourist use (HUT). RBD 2020
⁶Labor impact of legal tourist housing (HUT) in Barcelona. D.Quer 2017
⁷The impact of tourist housing on commerce. Ipsos 2019.
⁸Barcelona City Council and Apartur. 2022
⁹Environmental externalities of tourism in the city of Barcelona. Barcelona City Council 2019. Carbon footprint
¹⁰Hosteltour. tracker 2016
¹¹LaComunity 2018
