The islands are particularly popular this time of year for Brits looking to escape the winter gloom. But a new crackdown could mean it’s harder to find a place to stay in one of the popular resorts
Popular Spanish islands, which have long been a winter sun favourite for Brits, have approved a new set of laws that could make it more difficult to find accommodation at peak times.
Following a heated debate last week, the Parliament of the Canary Islands approved the new bill, more than two years after it was first announced. According to Canarian Weekly, the bill has been widely criticised by holiday let companies and local councils, who’ll be required to enforce the new measures.
ASCAV (Asociación Canaria del Alquiler Vacacional), which represents owners of holiday rentals across the Canaries, said it was a “black day”, according to the Spanish news outlet. They warned the changes will mostly affect small-scale lets and mean less choice for holidaymakers visiting the islands.
The new laws target holiday lets, with one of the main supporters of the bill being the hotel industry, its main competition. Holiday rentals will now be classed as a business, even for smaller operations such as families letting out their own homes. There will also be strict rules about where tourist rentals can operate. Councils will now have five years to define areas where holiday lets are allowed and will need to demonstrate that the area can support them. Until then, no further licences can be granted.
There will also be new minimum standards for holiday lets, including a minimum property size and energy rating, and properties will need to be at least ten years old before being let out.
Councils will also be required to ensure that 80% of housing is earmarked for residents, and in major tourist areas, they’ll be required to keep at least 90% for locals. In areas identified as “municipalities facing demographic challenges” from tourism, new holiday let licence applications will be suspended, although existing ones will still be valid.
In areas where the 10% allowance has already been met, licence applications will only be accepted again once the cap is raised.
While the changes will give local councils on the Canary Islands greater power, critics have said it’ll create a “massive workload” for local authorities, placing the onus on them to ensure compliance with new health and safety standards. They now have an eight-month window to create a plan for checking and enforcing the new regulations.
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Tourist-rental licences will now be valid for five to ten years, with owners needing to apply for renewals. In areas with a ‘stressed housing market’, this will be more challenging for the current 70,000 licence holders.
The changes follow two years of protests on the Canary Islands, as well as on the mainland of Spain. Despite protesters telling tourists not to visit destinations such as Tenerife, the island still saw a surge in tourist numbers over the summer.
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