Government accused of not fining illegal holiday rentals

The president, Joan Forteza, says that the ministry is not using all the resources at its disposal in handling official complaints about rentals that have been registered with it. He adds that many of these end up being filed "on the false grounds that there is a lack of evidence".

Forteza blames the tourism minister, Bel Busquets, for not dealing with an issue that affects many people who are unable to pay rents. The high prices for renting are for the most part due to holiday rentals, he maintains. Despite the ban on rentals in apartment blocks, which came into effect in July, this still happens, and Forteza blames the "passivity" of tourism minister inspectors.

The ministry, he says, should be working with the federation, which has enabled residents to present complaints about illegal holiday rentals anonymously. Many residents do not denounce for fear of making enemies, and this is creating problems with coexistence in residents' communities.