MADRID — Global holiday home rental company Airbnb has urged Barcelona's mayor to rethink a widening crackdown on short-term rentals, arguing that it only benefits the hotel sector while failing to address overtourism and a housing crisis.

"The only winner from Barcelona's war on short-term rentals is the hotel industry," Airbnb's head of Policy for Spain and Portugal, Sara Rodriguez, wrote in a letter to Mayor Jaume Collboni sent over the weekend and seen by Reuters.

Barcelona city hall did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In June, Collboni announced a plan to shut all short-term rentals by 2028 to contain soaring rents for residents. The measure is being challenged in courts.

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