Tourism minister Biel Barceló told parliament yesterday that proceedings are to be opened against Airbnb and TripAdvisor for contravening Balearic holiday rentals legislation.
The two websites, said Barceló, have not complied with requirements for advertising properties and have permitted adverts which do not include a tourism ministry registration licence number.
The proceedings, he added, are to be initiated as a matter of urgency. Fines can be as high as 400,000 euros.
The minister explained that since the legislation came into force on 8 August, 84 proceedings have been opened against owners and six agencies. At the same time, Barceló welcomed the fact that other websites have come into line with Balearic legislation, e.g. Booking, Hundredrooms and Rentalia.
Josep Melià of El Pi, who had asked about action being since the legislation was implemented, criticised what he believed was insufficient activity on behalf of the tourism ministry's inspectors.
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When this issue reaches the European courts (which of course may take years, although as the Internet platforms have issues elsewhere in Europe there may be an interesting forcing function time Wise) the legislation will be quite rightly eliminated. Plus, 400k is a drop in the ocean for the major platforms. 4M and they might look up from their coffee, 40M they will start all out war...and I hope so. Interestingly, and despite surveys to the contrary, I read all the comments in Spanish today on the Ultima Hora website and almost all locals seem to be against the new law and blame the hoteliers for saturation and lack of spending. Let's all hope this ridiculous law will eventually be abandoned. I just feel sorry for the small business owners in the meantime.
More not my holiday rentals. Oops
Hope it ends at Brussels as this legistration is ridiculous and seriously damaging to the resorts economy ! The fact that no one can even get a number until at August next year is crazy and unfair, Blaming rentals on saturation whilst building mega hotels a few miles from Palma, where that is only real place where the saturation problem exists ! Because it certainly no happening in resorts where we need my holiday rental tourists.