When Andreea bought an apartment in Sants, Barcelona, she discovered an opportunity that most buyers would have overlooked. The property had not been used for tourist rentals for over a decade; its previous owner had never activated the HUT license. In Barcelona, this poses a significant risk: a tourist license inactive for six consecutive months can expire and be lost permanently.
With the issuance of new tourist licenses practically paralyzed in the city and existing ones set to expire in 2028, an active HUT license is one of the most valuable assets a property in Barcelona can have. The question was whether there was still time to save it.
The challenge: a nearly expired tourist license.
Sants is one of the best-located neighborhoods in Barcelona: a few minutes from the central train station, with excellent connections to the airport, and constant demand for both short- and medium-term stays. A well-managed apartment in this area has all the conditions to achieve maximum market income.
But time was running out. The legal deadline to transfer the license to the new owner was rapidly approaching. Without specialized legal advice, the license—and everything it represented—would have been lost.
The solution: act quickly and have the right lawyer.
The BCN Flat Management team immediately contacted their lawyer specializing in Barcelona's tourism regulations. The objective was clear: to complete the license transfer to Andreea's name before the legal deadline.
Five months after the purchase, the license was successfully transferred, a process that would have been virtually impossible without expert legal knowledge of Barcelona's regulatory framework.
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No-Time-Wasting: Generating Income During Transition
While the license transfer was being processed, the apartment did not remain vacant. BFM activated it as a medium-term rental, generating approximately €2000 in revenue during the transition period.
A complete renovation of the interior—furniture, accessories, and full equipment—was completed in one month at a total cost of €15,000, leaving the apartment ready to compete at the highest level on Airbnb.
The result: «Sants Station Base,» one of Airbnb guests' favorite accommodations
Currently, the apartment is listed on Airbnb as Sants Station Base. It has accumulated 52 reviews with a score of 4.81 out of 5 and holds the «Favorite Host» badge, a distinction Airbnb awards only to the highest-rated properties on the entire platform.
The figures:
- Average monthly income: €2200
- High season (June-July): up to €3381/month
- Return on renovation investment (€15,000): recouped in less than 8 months
- Airbnb rating: 4.81 · Cleanliness: 4.9 · Check-in: 4.9 · Communication: 4.9
What this case demonstrates
It is possible to recover an inactive tourist license in Barcelona, but it requires acting quickly, having the right legal support, and a management team that knows how to optimize every day without wasting a single euro. Andreea went from having an empty apartment with the license at risk to generating over €26,000 annually in passive income.
Do you have an apartment in Barcelona with an active tourist license, or do you want to know if yours still has a future? Contact us for a free initial consultation.
