Jason MoorePalma26/12/2018 18:33
TW

Everyone agrees that the so-called illegal tourist rental market needed to be brought under control, but I would say that with the new legislation the local authorities have failed miserably. I know that some home owners have decided to sell their property because they are unable to receive a rental income any more as a result of the legislation. The fact that you can no longer rent an apartment in Palma on a weekly basis has hit the local economy because tourists do spend. What the local authorities failed to take into account is how much this market has grown; there were literally thousands of apartments across the island on the rental market. The majority have now been removed.

Yes, the new legislation does allow for some legal letting but in areas which were not that sought after by tourists. Also, a large number of tourists prefer staying in a house or apartment than in a hotel. It would have been a lot better if the local authorities had introduced a ruling which would have brought the thousands of holiday flats into line with the law; owners would pay tax, ensure that the flat met the necessary quality standards and also provide the local authorities with a list of who is staying where and when. This would have been far easier than this rather complicated legislation which has now been introduced. At the end of the day Majorca needs tourists and where they choose to stay should be up to them rather than the local authorities.