Tips for Renting Tourist Accommodation in Barcelona this Summer

Regardless of the time of year, the city of Barcelona welcomes thousands of tourists every day, and they stay in hotels, hostels or other tourist accommodation.

The city is a favourite place for tourists, as it has everything you could possibly wish for on your holiday, from beaches to monuments of great historical and architectural interest, to excellent gastronomy, luxury shops and mountain ranges at less than 200 kilometres away.

ShBarcelona specialises in tourist apartments, and the team has put together a list of tips for newcomers wishing to rent tourist accommodation in Barcelona.

Related article: Tourist Rentals and Illegality

Enjoy your stay in Barcelona – without problems

Photo via Pixabay

There are several ways to go about renting a tourist apartment in the city of Barcelona. Some of them are, among others, through online platforms, such as Airbnb, HomeAway, BeMate, Wimdu or HouseTrip. It seems easy and simple, but it is important to keep a number of things in the back of your head, when choosing to book your holiday accommodation this way:

Be aware of the rules between owner and tenant, before you make a reservation or book through a rental platform. It is important to read the cancellation policies very carefully, as every owner is free to decide on his own policy. One of the cancellation aspects that is essential to know, is if the owner can cancel a reservation that has already been paid.
One of the fundamental issues during your stay is respecting basic living norms and social standards, because if the neighbours complain to the owner, this might cause serious problems, that may quickly lead to being evicted from the property.
Take the time to read reviews of people who rented the apartment before you, so you can get an idea of whether everything is right, or if something may affect your stay.
It is important to know if you are covered by your civil liability insurance. You can also check if the owner of the accommodation has a homeowners insurance for damages.
Try to make sure the apartment really exists and that it is not a scam. Unfortunately this happens more on different platforms than you might expect. You can check this by talking directly with the owner and asking him or her for more pictures or even a video of the property. If you have any doubts or suspicions, do not book this accommodation and definitely do not pay anything.
Always make sure the owner of the apartment has a valid tourist accommodation licence.

Photo via Pixabay

The advice mentioned above is useful for anyone making a reservation through online rental platforms. If you do not want to book through these platforms, you can also select an licensed rental agency, whether you are looking for tourist accommodation, seasonal rentals or long term stays.

When you book through an official rental agency, you can ignore many of the procedures that are listed above, as the agency will take care of everything.

Agencies such as ShBarcelona only work with properties that have the appropriate tourist license, and they also tend to any problem or incident that may occur before, during and after your stay.

The property portfolio includes diverse properties, that meet different requirements and and you will find them in the most touristic places of Barcelona, such as in the neighbourhoods of Barceloneta, which is right next to the beach, El Born or El Front Marítim del Poblenou.

Do you prefer renting your holiday accommodation through an online platform?
Or would you rather book with an official rental agency?