The illegal tourist apartment scheme specialized in high-end properties and with a special fondness for Passeig de Gràcia lost two of the most prized jewels of its crown in recent weeks, two of the properties they sublet by the day clandestinely: one with excellent views of the Sagrada Família located on Avinguda Diagonal near Passeig de Sant Joan and another on Ronda Sant Pere, very close to Passeig de Gràcia.
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These two evictions were made possible mainly thanks to the determination of the owners. Municipal inspectors have had this organization in their sights for over three years now. Just regarding these two properties, the City Council has already imposed two sanctioning proceedings totaling 120,000 euros and a coercive fine of another 3,000.
“They are experts at delaying everything, appeal after appeal… and meanwhile they continue exploiting the apartments”
At the moment, inspectors have marked in red another four apartments linked to this scheme. In total, over these three years and a bit, the City Council has opened nine proceedings against them amounting to 420,000 euros, as well as five coercive fines totaling another 21,000. But the profits from this business are such that these people ignore the sanctions. According to their own website, each apartment goes for around 400 euros a night. This network, their website also indicates, also does business in San Sebastián, Marbella, Madrid, Ibiza… and more recently in Paris.
Inspectors have difficulty proving the tourist use of these apartments because during their inspections there is always someone who says they live there. And this network always asks its guests not to open the door to anyone and uses AI so that the window views shown in their ads do not reveal their location. Furthermore, the only recognized property of their supposed ringleader is a four-square-meter storage room in Soto del Real seized by Social Security. And his alleged main partner owns nothing.
And to evict them, the owners have to undertake cumbersome civil processes. Judges usually do not treat these activities criminally. “The ones on Diagonal took more than two years to get the eviction order – says lawyer Marta Martín –. They appeal even the most insignificant procedure.” They also take advantage of system loopholes. “They appealed without having the right because they owe about 50,000 euros in rent, but the Provincial Court took almost a year to say that no appeal was admissible.”
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“We managed to evict them from the main apartment a few months ago – say the managers of a building on Ronda Sant Pere –. Now we are waiting for the judge to set an eviction date for the penthouse. Meanwhile…” This network started its activities in Barcelona in March 2023, renting two apartments in this building for 1,800 euros each per month. Their mastermind assured the owners that he needed them to house athletes.
Soon the owners realized they had been turned into tourist apartments. They told them it was illegal and they responded that they could be part of the business. The managers of this building also detail that the owners refused and by October 2024 the network stopped paying rent and began making life impossible for the concierge. “Now we are waiting for the judge to set the eviction date for the penthouse. These people even have the audacity to claim vulnerability.”
“They are experts at delaying everything – lawyer Martín resumes –. We also obtained a ruling to recover another apartment they exploit on Passeig de Gràcia. They will file an appeal that will also have no future because they owe many months, but while the Court responds they will gain another half year to continue subletting it. And another owner on Passeig de Gràcia has just filed a criminal complaint against them.” Apparently, once the seasonal contract was over, they told him they would continue exploiting his property anyway, that it was best to come to an understanding, that they could compensate him…
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“We are going to sue them to ask for compensation – assures Martín –. At least that way they will have no choice but to spend money on lawyers.
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