Catalonia's inspection unit has opened 529 sanctioning files for breaches of the rent price limitation law in designated 'stressed' rental market areas, according to data from the Department of Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition. Barcelona city alone accounts for 210 of these investigations, representing 40% of the total. Most cases involve landlords exceeding the maximum rent established for the area.
Of the total, 74% of the files were opened proactively by the inspection unit, while the remaining 26% were initiated by private complaints. Currently, 89% of the open files are in the preliminary investigation phase, with seven cases having formally started a sanctioning process. Across Catalonia, the Barcelona province concentrates 76% of the files, with 402, followed by Tarragona with 60 (11.3%), Girona with 48 (9%), and Lleida with 19 (4%).
Joint Inspections in Barcelona
As part of the inspection unit's deployment, several rent containment inspections have been carried out in collaboration with Barcelona City Council. On 15 April, 17 inspections were conducted at 11 locations in a joint operation with the council and with support from the Guàrdia Urbana. These operations identified 12 properties with potential breaches, primarily flats intended for room rentals. Investigations into these properties are ongoing.
Beyond the capital, other municipalities with a notable number of open files include Girona with 31, Badalona with 23, and Sitges with 14. The preliminary investigation phase is the initial step in the procedure, involving an initial inquiry into the reported or detected facts.
Reasons for File Closures
So far, 51 files, or 10% of the total, have been closed. Of these, 18 were closed during preliminary investigations and 31 were definitively archived. Additionally, two files were annulled. The main reason for archiving private complaints is that the rental contract predates the law's entry into force, meaning it was not subject to the new regulations.
Officials also noted cases where the purpose of the contract was not specified, corresponding to seasonal contracts or those for uses other than habitual housing. These types of contracts may fall outside the scope of the rent limitation law.
