The well-liked Spanish islands, traditionally a sought-after destination for British tourists seeking winter sun, have passed a new set of regulations that may complicate the search for lodging during peak periods.
After a contentious discussion last week, the Canary Islands’ Parliament approved the new legislation, more than two years after its initial proposal. As reported by Canarian Weekly, the law has faced significant criticism from vacation rental companies and local authorities, who will be responsible for implementing the new rules.
ASCAV (Asociación Canaria del Alquiler Vacacional), representing holiday rental property owners throughout the Canaries, expressed dismay, labeling it a “dark day.” They cautioned that the alterations would primarily impact small-scale rentals, resulting in reduced options for holidaymakers visiting the islands.
The new regulations specifically target vacation rentals, with the hotel industry, their primary competitors, strongly supporting the bill. Holiday rentals will now be classified as commercial entities, even extending to smaller ventures like families renting out their residences. The legislation also imposes stringent guidelines on the permissible locations for tourist accommodations. Local councils have a five-year window to outline zones where such rentals are permitted and must demonstrate the area’s capacity to accommodate them. During this period, no new licenses will be issued.
Additionally, new minimum standards for vacation properties have been established, including size and energy efficiency requirements, with properties mandated to be at least a decade old before being leased.
Local councils are now compelled to allocate 80% of housing for residents, with a higher quota of 90% reserved for locals in major tourist zones. In regions designated as “municipalities facing demographic challenges” due to tourism, new license applications for vacation rentals will be halted, though existing permits will remain valid.
In areas where the 10% threshold has already been reached, license applications will only be reconsidered once the limit is increased.
While these changes grant increased authority to local councils in the Canary Islands, critics argue that it will significantly burden local authorities with ensuring compliance with the new safety and health standards. They are now tasked with devising a plan within eight months to oversee and enforce the updated regulations.
Tourist-rental licenses will now have a validity period of five to ten years, necessitating owners to seek renewals. This poses a challenge for the current 70,000 license holders in areas with a strained housing market.
These amendments come after two years of protests in the Canary Islands and mainland Spain. Despite activists urging tourists to avoid destinations like Tenerife, the island experienced a surge in visitor numbers over the summer.
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