On Friday, Jaume Collboni, the city's mayor, said he would ban apartment rentals to tourists by 2028 in an unexpectedly drastic move.
It comes as the city struggles to grapple with soaring housing costs, making it unliveable for residents.
Mr Collboni said by November 2028 the city would scrap the licences of 10,101 apartments currently approved as short-term rentals.
This, he said at a news conference, would help them confront "Barcelona's largest problem" as the apartments would become available to locals instead.
Over the past 10 years, rents have risen 68% in the city, and the cost of buying a house by 38%, according to Mr Collboni.
Barcelona is Spain's most visited city by foreign tourists and lack of access to housing has become a driver of inequality, especially among the young, he warned.
The city's mayor later added on social media: "We want to guarantee the right to live in Barcelona and deal effectively with the housing crisis we have been suffering for years. For this reason, from the town hall, we act."
Spain's national government benefits from tourism, but residents in the Catalonian city are being priced out, with gentrification and over-tourism already hot topics in Spain.
The country's Balearic Islands have recently seen thousands of protesters march against mass tourism.
(source:Yahoonews!)
