The Barcelona Rental Regulation Working Group meets to analyse the decline in average rents

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04/11/2024 - 16:28 h - Housing Ajuntament de Barcelona

The Barcelona Rental Regulation Working Group of the Barcelona Social Housing Council has met to analyse the 5.2% decline in the average rental price in the city during the second quarter of this year, confirming the effect of the coming into force of the regulation. During this period, the average rent was 1,131.80 euros per month, a figure taken from the first ‘Biannual Monitoring Report of the Barcelona Residential Market Zone (ZMRT)’, prepared by the Barcelona Metropolitan Housing Observatory.

The study was carried out mainly on the basis of data published by the Housing Secretariat of the Generalitat de Catalunya, supplemented by “other information that facilitates its interpretation”, the authors point out. The Rental Regulation came into force on 16 March, so 75% of the new contracts in which the deposit was paid into the Incasòl were signed under this new regulation.

Other conclusions that can be drawn from this report are:

  • A total of 7,939 new rental contracts were registered with Incasòl in the city of Barcelona, 19.2% less than in the previous quarter and 23.5% less than last year.
  • 3,190 sales transactions were registered in the city of Barcelona, 10.6% less than in the previous quarter and 16.9% less than a year ago.
  • In terms of complaints and claims against companies for non-compliance with the law, the following were filed:
    • 17 complaints related to fees (deposits, seasonal rentals and habitual residence…).
    • 6 complaints for the recovery of real estate costs.
    • 14 complaints for the collection of estate agent fees.
    • 1 complaint for a price higher than the rental reference index.
    • 1 complaint concerning the price of the rental of the property.

Joan Ramon Riera, the City Council’s Housing Commissioner, has stressed that “rent control is beginning to produce results, in terms of prices and the number of contracts” and has defended the intervention in regulation because “it is becoming clear that the logic of the market is not resolving housing needs”. He has also addressed other cities in the State, inviting them to analyse these data.

The Barcelona Rental Regulation Working Group

Last May, the Permanent Commission of the Barcelona Social Housing Council approved the creation of new working groups, including this one to monitor the regulation of rentals in the city.

The first inaugural meeting was held in June and is made up of the main actors and organisations in the sector, the political groups of the Barcelona City Council, municipal bodies, the Diputació de Barcelona and the Generalitat de Catalunya. Its objective is to evaluate and monitor the development of the stressed market area, as well as to follow the evolution of the rental housing stock in the city and the application of the price regulation.