“This has resulted in general bans in some cities, broad restrictive regional regulations or excessive bureaucracy that is driving out those who carry out this activity on an occasional basis, mainly families, without solving any of the problems,” it said in a statement. Airbnb has called for the benefits that rental activity has on families, rural areas and small businesses to be promoted, and for this activity to stop being singled out as “the scapegoat for the great housing challenges”.
Even so, the company has acknowledged that some cities and destinations in Spain face an enormous challenge in mass tourism and the concentration of tourist activity, aligning itself with governments in the intention to alleviate the housing crisis. Airbnb’s proposed regulatory model is based on four regulatory principles. Firstly, the platform advocates a clear distinction between business activities through tourist rentals dedicated solely to short-term rentals and occasional accommodation in the homes of families.
For the company, a single, harmonised, free and online registration system is also important; according to EU regulations, coupled with evidence-based, data-driven, proportionate, non-discriminatory and justified rules. Finally, the fourth principle is based on regulations adapted to the needs of less frequented and less known areas, typically rural, in contrast to the complexity of urban areas, and which promote the dispersion of trips throughout Spain.
This year, ten million euros will be spent in the Balearics in the ongoing fight against illegal holiday rentals. The island councils will use this money in order to increase the numbers of inspectors and to enhance the technologies that are used. Describing the illegal supply as "one of the great scourges" in the Balearics, tourism minister Jaume Bauzá said that the ten million would go on the "first phase" of a strategy to use tourist tax revenue for combating illegal letting. The intention is to increase funding in the coming years.
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The solution is a Government awareness campaign on-line to advise prospective renters that they should never rent any property without first seeing a valid authenticated certificate of occupancy issued by the local authority (landlords are invited to apply for certification). And to pair this with a Government look-up table on-line where prospective tenants can double-check the property that they are considering renting by entering the address and checking that it is approved. Such a measure is a win-win for all. The prospective visitor wins because the certificate confirms that the rental is legal and genuine and approved for renting. The authorities and the locals win by ensuring uncertified illegal properties are removed from the market. Start this initiative now and it could be in place for the 2025 Summer season.
Ok, maybe it's true that illegal holiday lets generate 3 billion in incoming cash. But they don't even know how many exist, so that's more likely just a guess. However, many of the illegal lets are pretty down market and dumpy. Many are run by dodgy cartels and some are just plain scams. They have to be cheap because they're illegal, and attracting cheap seekers is always problematic. And they sure as hell don't pay taxes on the income. So, if there's that much money involved, perhaps a different school of thought might be wise; Perhaps a programme for registration and licencing, requiring some basic quality and safety standards, and of course, declaring the income and paying taxes on it? Oh, we already have that. But here in the balearics, it's no longer possible to get a licence. So, back to square one. Lather, rinse, repeat.