Spain's top court backs Barcelona's plan to ban holiday apartments

FILE PHOTO: A demonstrator holds a house-shaped sign that reads "from touristic flat to temporary rent to Airbnb" during a protest to demand lower housing rental prices and better living conditions, in Barcelona, Spain, November 23, 2024. REUTERS/Bruna Casas/File Photo

MADRID (Reuters) - One of Spain's top courts on Thursday backed a plan by Barcelona to ban holiday apartment rentals by 2028, rejecting an appeal that argued the measure infringed on the rights of private property owners.

Barcelona was the first Spanish city to adopt a radical decision to shut down all short-term rentals as a way of addressing rising rents.