A ‘groundbreaking’ new law comes into force in the Canary Islands today, January 2, which addresses ‘long-standing concerns’ in the tourism sector.
The new regulations will impact short-term holiday rental properties across the Spanish archipelago, “creating a level playing field between traditional accommodation providers, such as hotels, and short-term rental hosts”.
According to news site Canarian Weekly, the law officially comes into effect from today, January 2, but will not be fully implemented until July 1, enabling a six-month adaptation period.
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Under the new regulation, anyone doing short-term holiday lets will have to comply with a mandatory registration system and digital reporting requirements. Property owners will have to obtain a registration number before offering their properties on websites such as Airbnb and booking.com.
The Canary Islands is a popular holiday destination among Brits -Credit:Getty Images/Westend61
This will “improve transparency and regulation of short-term rentals”. Spain becomes the first EU country to launch such a law.
The law applies to all types of short term rentals “offered for economic gain”. Which includes holiday rentals, seasonal lets and room rentals, “as long as they are marketed through transactional online platforms.”
It comes after ongoing discussions across the Canary Islands about the impact of tourism, which saw thousands of residents take to the streets in protests last year. One of the key concerns among residents is the rising cost of houses.
According to Canarian Weekly, this new law “aims to address issues of housing availability, unregulated tourism growth, and tax compliance.” Authorities will be able to monitor the short-term rental market, to “mitigate housing shortages in urban areas.”
The publication added: “This change also creates a level playing field between traditional accommodation providers, such as hotels, and short-term rental hosts, addressing long-standing concerns about competition and regulation in the tourism sector.”
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