With rules of its own
Coliving regulation in Catalonia, Spain: housing with complementary common spaces (2026)
Yes. Since 12 December 2020, Decret llei 50/2020 (Decree-Law 50/2020) has added a type of its own to Llei 18/2007 del dret a l'habitatge (the Catalan Right to Housing Act): housing with complementary common spaces. It is housing, it goes on land zoned for residential use, it needs a certificate of occupancy and, if it takes up the whole building, it cannot be divided into horizontal property. Until the habitability decree is adapted, the tenth transitional provision sets 24 m² private and 6 m² common per unit.
The general guide to coliving regulation in Spain →
The short answer
Catalonia was the first of the regions in this series to give a figure of its own to what the market calls coliving: housing with complementary common spaces (allotjament amb espais comuns complementaris) has existed since December 2020. A decree-law created it, but it lives inside Llei 18/2007 del dret a l'habitatge, and that is where it has to be read. The Catalan Parliament validated it and it was not processed as an act: the consolidated text of Llei 18/2007 still attributes these provisions to Article 2 of Decree-Law 50/2020.
In short: it is housing and goes on land zoned for residential use (Art. 18 bis(1)); it needs a certificate of occupancy (cèdula d'habitabilitat, Art. 26(7)); if it takes up the whole building, it cannot be divided into horizontal property (Art. 18 bis(3)); and the private space can be smaller than an ordinary home because the common areas make up for it. The Balearic Islands use the same name, with tighter rules on ownership.
What the rule says
Allotjament amb espais comuns complementaris: l'habitatge que, d'acord amb la normativa d'habitabilitat, té una superfície de l'espai privatiu inferior a la fixada per a la resta de tipologies d'habitatge i que disposa d'uns espais comuns complementaris ajustats als requisits mínims i de qualitat establerts a la normativa esmentada. ("Housing with complementary common spaces: the dwelling which, in accordance with habitability rules, has a private area smaller than that set for other types of dwelling and which has complementary common spaces meeting the minimum and quality requirements laid down in those rules.")
Two things follow from that sentence. First: the unit is a habitatge, a dwelling, not a hospitality establishment or a public facility. Second: its defining feature is having less private space than other types, in exchange for common spaces that Art. 3(q) defines as the building's shared-use spaces other than the mandatory common elements, which complement the use of the private spaces.
Art. 18 bis adds the balancing rule: the private space plus its proportional share of the common areas cannot be smaller than the minimum floor area of a complete home (Art. 18 bis(2)). And Art. 100(2) of the consolidated Catalan Planning Act, which the same decree-law amends, exempts an increase in density used for these units from the extra reserve of 10 m² of open space and facilities per new home, within the module of 70 m² of floor space.
The conditions
| Condition | What it requires | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Land | Land zoned by urban planning for housing uses | Art. 18 bis(1) |
| Private area | At least 24 m² of usable area | TP 10(4)(c)(1) |
| Common areas | At least 6 m² of usable area per unit; each space over 6 m² and able to hold a circle 2.45 m in diameter | TP 10(1)(a) and (4)(c)(1) |
| Combined minimum | Private and common together, never less than 36 m² | TP 10(4)(c)(1) |
| Certificate of occupancy | Mandatory; it states the usable shared-use area of each unit | Art. 26(7) and TP 10(2) |
| Horizontal property | If it takes up the whole building, it cannot be divided; if it takes up part, that part is a single private element | Art. 18 bis(3) |
Source: Decret llei 50/2020, DOGC no. 8292 of 11 December 2020.
Those floor areas are transitional: they apply "fins a l'adaptació del Decret 141/2012" ("until Decree 141/2012 is adapted"), the habitability decree, and they may change if it is. In the consolidated text of Llei 18/2007 the tenth transitional provision is still in force (checked on 19 October 2026). The licence is municipal.
Barcelona has no rule of its own for coliving on residential land: there, the regional act governs. What the City Council plenary approved on 31 October 2025 is the Ordenança reguladora dels equipaments d'allotjament dotacional (bylaw on facility-housing equipment, BOPB of 12/11/2025; full text in the correction of 17/11/2025), which only applies on land zoned for public facilities. Its Art. 5(b) defines "allotjament dotacional amb espais comuns complementaris" and its Art. 11(2) requires 30 m² private and 6 m² common, with an exception of 24 + 12 m² and never less than 36 m² per occupant. The bylaw's report on objections makes clear that coliving on residential land is not within its scope.
What the rule does not say
Worth knowing
The act does not use the word "coliving", sets no length of stay and requires no manager or operator. It is not a tourism figure. And it does not take the unit out of the rental regime: as it is housing, the contract follows Llei 18/2007 and the LAU, Spain's Urban Leases Act, just like a flat.
What doesn't change
The contract with the resident and the obligations of running the operation do not depend on the region, and they are in the general guide to coliving regulation in Spain. To choose between a residential tenancy and another use, see LAU: residential or other use.
Frequently asked questions
Can I open a coliving space in a flat inside a residential block in Catalonia?
The act does not rule it out. Article 18 bis(3) of Llei 18/2007 provides that, if the units take up only part of a building under horizontal property, that part is set up as a single private element, separate from the homes, premises or parking spaces in the rest. It also has to be on residential land, meet the floor areas of the tenth transitional provision and hold a certificate of occupancy and a municipal licence.
Is a certificate of occupancy required?
Yes. Article 26(7) of Llei 18/2007, as worded by Decree-Law 50/2020, says that housing with complementary common spaces is also subject to the requirement of a certificate of occupancy. The certificate has to state the total usable shared-use area enjoyed by each unit, under paragraph 2 of the tenth transitional provision.
Can the building be divided into horizontal property?
No, if the units take up the whole building: Article 18 bis(3) expressly forbids it. If they take up only part of a building already under horizontal property, that part is set up as a single private element. The preamble of Decree-Law 50/2020 explains why: the prohibition is meant to steer these units towards the rental market.
How much floor area does each unit need?
Until Decree 141/2012 on habitability is adapted, the tenth transitional provision requires a private space of at least 24 square metres of usable area and common areas of at least 6 per unit, with the total never below 36. Each common space has to exceed 6 square metres of usable area and be able to hold a circle 2.45 metres in diameter.
Is there anything else in Barcelona?
For residential land, no: Llei 18/2007 governs. The bylaw on facility-housing equipment, approved on 31 October 2025, only applies on land zoned for public facilities and regulates facility housing with common spaces, with 30 square metres private and 6 common (Articles 5(b) and 11(2)). Its report on objections says coliving on residential land is not within that bylaw's scope.
Other regions
- MadridRules of its own since November 2023: the "residencia compartida" (shared residence) of the General Plan's Planning Rules, a residential use allowed only in a dedicated building.
- Valencian CommunityPartial rules: Act 3/2023 only regulates not-for-profit collaborative housing; operator-run coliving has no figure of its own, and the city of València is processing it in its General Plan.
- GaliciaRules of its own since 1 January 2026: shared accommodation under Act 8/2012, by public or private developers and with 30 m² of usable area per unit.
- AndalusiaPartial rules: Act 5/2025 has defined coliving (Art. 4(j)) since 24 January 2026, but the minimum floor area depends on regulations that have not been issued.
- Balearic IslandsRules of its own since May 2024: housing with complementary common spaces under Llei 5/2018, with a single certificate of occupancy for the building and no horizontal property.
- Basque CountryPartial rules: Decree 80/2022 only sets the habitability of collaborative housing; use, licensing and the contract have no rule of their own.
- Canary IslandsRules of its own since February 2024: housing with complementary common spaces under Act 2/2003 and the floor areas of Decree-Law 1/2024, with regulations pending.