In June 2026, it was reported that Barcelona City Council was finalising the cancellation of 41 tourist apartment licences linked to a municipal corruption case dating from 2006.
The news does not mean that all old Barcelona tourist licences can automatically be cancelled. These are specific files linked to licences whose legality was challenged in court.
How did the issue arise?
The licences were granted in the context of an investigation into irregularities and corruption. According to the published information, the municipal review relies on court decisions confirming the unlawfulness of certain grants.
How many licences are involved?
The City has reviewed a much larger group of files and is specifically moving forward with the cancellation of 41 licences connected with the case.
What can owners learn from this case?
- A licence does not prevent its legality from being reviewed in exceptional circumstances.
- A later purchaser should still investigate the administrative history of the licence.
- Review or enforcement proceedings must be assessed individually.
What documents matter?
For an owner affected by a review, it is important to retain the original licence decision, planning history, administrative communications, transfer documents and any related court decisions.
Bottom line: old licences must be assessed file by file. It would be incorrect to generalise the cancellation of these 41 licences to all tourist homes in Barcelona.
Sources
This article is based on the following public and official sources: