In Majorca, there are at present 14,800 holiday rental properties, e.g. villas but most certainly not apartments, which are legally registered with and licensed by the tourism ministry. There won't be any more for at least twelve months, the time that has been allocated for the Council of Majorca and town halls to determine and agree zones for any new legal holiday rentals.
Although the government's decree that has sorted out the mess regarding apartments in the holiday rentals' legislation will not be ratified by parliament until next month, the ministry is already getting down to business in addressing illegal rentals.
One way in which it will do this is via an online facility for residents to denounce owners who are renting out apartments. These reports cannot be anonymous because the law doesn't permit anonymity in this instance. There is also to be an app which can be used to find out if a rental property is legal or not.
From this coming Tuesday, coinciding with the official publication of the decree, ministry inspectors will be following what is said to be a straightforward procedure. Rentals will be considered to be for tourism purposes if they are for fewer than thirty days. It will be up to owners to prove that they are not. Checks will be made with property registers and as to the existence of a licence number (or not).
The email address to report suspected illegal rentals is bustiainspeccioturisme@dgoturis.caib.es. On receipt, inspectors will open a file on the case and determine if the rental is illegal or not.
12 comments
Was this article produced by google translate? Because if not, the quality is appalling. Please employ a proper spanish/english translator otherwise your publication really does deserve its nickname the Daily Bullshit.
Does anyone know where this app or link is where you can check then if a property is legal or not?
https://ultimahora.es/noticias/local/2017/08/06/284157/baleares-multara-desde-martes-hasta-000-euros-quien-alquile-piso-turistas.html
This article really is all too stupid for words. It's all based on a so-called residential housing shortage. But in reality there's no housing shortage, - there's an income shortage. This has come about by people not being able to pay rents in the winter because they're not working. This is because there are no tourists. This is because the hotels close. Solution : hotels stay open 12 months, and severely limit the all-inclusive offers. So simple a child can see it.
Well said below. Besides which, I live in a block of flats in a tourist area, and I would gladly swap tourist couples on short holidays for some of the resident tenants we have, with barking dogs left alone all night while they work, and the rubbish and discarded effects littering our corridors. Little wonder so many owners have stopped letting to locals (thus the perceived housing shortage), that do not earn for seven months of the year, and can't be evicted under the archaic laws here. Bring on more tourist rentals, that feed the local businesses and maintain our proprty values.
Not so. Under the Law of Urban Rentals anyone can let their property to whoever they wish, and with no lower limits regarding the renatal period. "Tourist Rentals" does not have any real meaning except for hostals, hotels and those offering "tourist services" such as airport collections, daily bedding change, the supply of food and a few oher such services. Otherwise, as stated before. There are those in minor authority that strive to change this for reasons best known to themselves, thus the ongoing media coverage, but it flies in the face of established laws, and has been kicked into touch by the National Courts. Even if they approved it locally, any sanctions would be thrown out by an appeal to the European Commission, as it was last year when the fines to Owners Direct and AirBnB were quashed at the higher level.
John: One has to have a licence for holiday/tourist letting. If not, the letting is illegal.
There's no such thing as letting ones property illegally, every single landlord is entitled to let his property under the Constitution and Spanish Horizontal Law however they please. Don't confuse this with anybody, including, but not exclusively to, property owners, paying taxes on their profits.
That is a myth often trotted out by simple souls who think taxes woul be reduced if everyone paid. Another example of the politics of envy and spite.
Well said " V ". If everyone was honest ( some hope ), taxes would be less and we would all be much better off.