Thousands of illegal holiday homes across the Balearics could soon be available to rent in an effort to solve the housing crisis. The Balearic government wants these homes, which are being rented out to tourists illegally, to be offered to local residents on long term rents.
Other measures include converting retail premises into flats and also raising the number of storeys on existing apartment blocks. The Balearics has a major shortage of properties especially in the low and middle sector which are available to rent. This is causing all sort of problems.
The new Balearic government has made resolving the housing crisis one of their key priorities. Their new plan has been broadly welcomed.
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If it was worth their while these owners would have done it already. But the law here is far too heavily weighed to the rights of the tenants and the rents they can charge are very poor compared to what they can earn from tourists. And it’s not just illegal ETVs, there are many empty properties around because the owners don’t want all the hassle being a landlord brings. You can’t just force them to do this. Major incentives will be needed.
Those illegal tourist rentals can and always could be rented to locals. But the risk of nonpaying or damaging tenants that can't be evicted are much higher, not to mention the monthly income much lower. But the penalties for illegal tourist rentals are very high (if caught). It could mean being forced to sell the property. They need to address the root causes, not superficial "solutions" that already exist. That isn't solving the problem now. It won't tomorrow either.