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Spain prepares tough measures for digital platforms for renting accommodation. In Spain, a country with a large influx of tourists from all over the world, digital platforms for renting accommodations have a lot of customers. More and more apartments are listed on them to be made available to customers. Thus, rents have exploded for residents and it is increasingly difficult to find long-term rental apartments in areas that have a lot of tourism.
Spain prepares tough measures for digital platforms for renting accommodation
Thus, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez threatens the large digital platforms for renting accommodation spaces for tourists that tough measures will be implemented to remove unlicensed apartments from the market. It tells us more
“We have to find a balance between tourism and good neighborliness,” said Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, adding that the big digital platforms “have turned our apartments into illegal hotels.”
He also said that the measures will be tough and will certainly anger the big corporations in digital tourism, but it is the only way. He did not say exactly what measures will be taken, but that they will be made public in the immediate future.
Control measures through digital platforms are an older idea, but which, in the first attempts, did not work
Since last year, all websites that offer apartments for rent to tourists have been required to hold and provide, upon request, the tax data of those who rent to the authorities. The move didn’t work because no platform could force some customers to say where they reside.
For example, a Spaniard who has an apartment for rent in Spain would be obliged, but a Frenchman who also owns property in Spain would not.
The failure of the attempt is evident by searching for deals on the major sites. For example, in Madrid, of the 24,000 offers that appear on Airbnb or Booking, only 1,008 have a license.
In Barcelona, the situation is similar, although the percentage is lower. It is the same at the national level. After all, authorities say, it’s not just a housing crisis problem, it’s primarily a tax evasion problem, because the tens of thousands of unlicensed apartments pay no taxes.
The solution of identification and fine is impractical. First, that there are not enough human resources for checks. Secondly, because the processes take a long time.
In Seville, for example, six have been checked and identified in two months, while it is estimated that there are more than 5,000, and the owners are now on trial with the authorities.
That is why the prime minister and, separately, the mayors of major cities say that tough regulation of these platforms is the only solution.
So far, Barcelona is the only one to apply one. Licenses are no longer granted or renewed. Thus, from 2028, there will be only hotels and guesthouses in this great city
Source: www.doctorulzilei.ro
