Rent prices in Catalonia see increase of 6.9% in 2023 

Rent prices in Catalonia increased 6.9% in 2023, according to a new study on renting in Spain published by the Spanish real estate website Fotocasa, which analyzed price changes in 16 Catalan cities.

The increase is the largest since 2018, with an average monthly price per square meter reaching €15.95, €4.30 above the Spanish average.

According to Fotocasa, rent increases were recorded in 14 of the 16 cities. The two largest increases were seen in the areas bordering Barcelona, with L'Hospitalet de Llobregat seeing a 17.5% increase, and Badalona a 17.1% increase from the previous year.

The northern city of Girona saw an increase of 15.6%, with the average monthly price per square meter reaching €13.46.

The highest average monthly price per square meter was recorded in Barcelona, where renters had to pay €20.96, while renters in neighboring L’Hospitalet de Llobregat had to pay €18.85 per square meter.

In 2023, Catalonia was the third region in Spain that saw the greatest increase in rent prices, after the Balearic Islands and Madrid, which saw prices reach €16.90 and €17.38 per square meter, respectively.

Increases in all Barcelona districts

The Fotocasa study also showed that rental prices increased in all ten districts of Barcelona.

The highest increases were recorded in Nou Barris, with a rise of 23.2%, followed by Sant Andreu with 16.2% and Les Corts with 12.6%.

The district with the highest rental cost was Ciutat Vella, where the average price per square meter was €22.13 in 2023.

Rent cap in February

In February, a rent cap will come into effect in 140 Catalan towns and cities in ‘tense housing zones’.

Some 6.2 million people, 80% of the total Catalan population, live in one of these 140 municipalities, which include practically the whole metropolitan area of Barcelona; the cities of Tarragona, Girona, and Lleida, significant parts of the coast, and some mountainous areas such as Ripoll, Puigcerdà, Mollerussa, Solsona and Torelló.

According to the new regulation, new contracts cannot exceed the price of the last contract in force in the last five years, after the annual update, which is 3% for 2024.

For homes owned by large-scale property holders (individuals or companies with more than ten urban properties for residential use), the rent cannot be higher than the reference price index.