Calls for regulation at the national level have prompted lawmakers to consider limiting tourist rentals amidst a growing housing crisis.
Spanish legislators are proposing new laws to limit the overtourism that some say is creating issues with overcrowding, water use, and housing affordability in the country.
According to an Associated Press article, the government is considering more regulation around short-term rentals and other lodgings thought to drive up the cost of housing for local residents.
A 12-part plan introduced by the nation’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would limit rentals catered to tourists and enact stricter regulations on Airbnb and other vacation rental operators.
Some Spanish cities have enacted their own regulations. In Malaga, the town banned new STRs in neighborhoods where they already exceed 8 percent of the housing stock. Barcelona will close down all 10,000 apartments licensed as short-term rentals in that city by 2028.
FULL STORY: ‘Overtourism’ has saturated Spain — new laws take aim at rental-housing crisis
Barcelona Buys Building to Prevent Tenant Evictions
One apartment building — and its tenants who faced eviction — became a potent symbol of the city’s growing housing crisis.
France Tightens Restrictions on Short-Term Rentals
The vacation rental market is shouldering part of the blame for rising housing costs, particularly in popular tourist destinations.
How Much Are Short-Term Rentals to Blame for the Housing Crisis?
Whether and how deeply Airbnb and other short-term rentals affect housing costs depends largely on local conditions and economies.
Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?
Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?
Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.
Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.
California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.
HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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