Illegal tourist apartments in Barcelona are being run by a sophisticated network posing as a non-profit sports society. This group rents high-end properties under the pretence of housing elite athletes. However, it actually sublets them to tourists on platforms like Airbnb, generating thousands of euros while evading municipal regulations. Consequently, this illegal activity contributes to the worsening housing crisis in Catalonia.
Barcelona City Council inspectors have tightened their net around the organisation. The group focuses on luxury properties on Ronda Sant Pere, Avinguda Diagonal, and the prestigious Passeig de Gràcia. According to an investigation by La Vanguardia, the ringleader uses a fake sports entity named ‘Jisama’ to secure leases. Subsequently, the homes are converted into unlicensed holiday rentals. The council has already initiated five sanction procedures of €60,000 each against the operators.
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Home » Illegal Tourist Apartments Barcelona: Inside the Luxury Ring
The ‘Jisama’ deception behind illegal tourist apartments in Barcelona
The operation relies on a carefully crafted persona. Property managers report that the group’s leader presents himself as a representative of a sports society. He claims to need accommodation for staff and athletes. Once the keys are handed over, however, the tenants are neither workers nor athletes. Instead, they are tourists paying upwards of €400 a night.
The scam began in March 2023 with two flats on Ronda Sant Pere. These were rented for €1,800 a month. By late 2023, the network had expanded to properties on Passeig de Gràcia costing up to €2,500 monthly. Because the leases are signed through a sports society, income trails are harder to trace. When owners discover the illegal subletting, the group allegedly stops paying rent. Furthermore, it employs aggressive tactics to remain in the building.
Tactics: AI, delays and harassment in Barcelona’s illegal rentals
The network employs advanced methods to evade detection. Inspectors found the group uses artificial intelligence to alter images in online advertisements. This prevents authorities from identifying the exact location of the flats. Therefore, this digital camouflage allows them to dodge sanctions while maintaining high occupancy rates.
On the ground, the tactics are cruder. Concierges and neighbours who challenge the illegal tourist apartments in Barcelona face intimidation. In one instance on Ronda Sant Pere, a concierge who posted signs had a fan thrown at her. She also found rubbish, beer, and tomato sauce dumped on her workspace. “He told me I couldn’t hang those signs, that it wasn’t my job,” the concierge told reporters.
Legally, the group exploits the court system to prolong their stay. When faced with eviction orders, their lawyers appeal every decision. Often, they bypass lower courts to file directly with the overburdened Provincial Court. This strategy can delay eviction by six months to a year. As a result, the network continues profiting from the unpaid properties.
Municipal crackdown on illegal tourist apartments in Barcelona
Despite these delays, the City Council is making progress. Inspectors have launched five sanctioning procedures, with fines totalling €300,000. Four of these are already in the seizure phase. Additionally, coercive fines worth €12,000 have been issued to pressure the group into compliance. These local measures are part of Spain’s broader tourist housing decline driven by tighter regulations.
Major booking platforms are also taking action. Following alerts from investigators, Airbnb removed at least 20 listings associated with the network. These were across several cities, including Madrid and San Sebastián. “We suspended the listings as soon as we became aware of the situation,” a company spokesperson stated. The platform has set up a task force to identify bad actors more quickly. However, removing user profiles takes longer than removing individual ads.
The network recently attempted to expand further on Passeig de Gràcia. It used a different sports club name, ‘Ubeat’. However, municipal inspectors detected the move and are preparing a new file. The upcoming preliminary hearing for the recovery of one property is scheduled for March. Therefore, this crackdown is just one part of the Barcelona City Council’s efforts to expand affordable housing.
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