The Canary Islands Parliament is making progress in approving new regulations to regulate vacation rentals in the archipelago. In the last plenary session, the comprehensive amendments presented by the PSOE and Vox parties were rejected by the majority supporting the regional government. More than 18 months after President Fernando Clavijo (CC) announced this proposal, the Law on the Sustainable Management of the Tourist Use of Housing is getting closer to coming into force.
The regulations introduce a moratorium that will prohibit the registration of new homes as tourist accommodation, unless they are included in municipal urban development plans. These will have five years to adapt their regulations to the general guidelines of the law. Furthermore, the regulations exclude social housing from this type of rental and prohibit entire buildings in residential areas from being used exclusively for vacation rentals. New buildings may also not be used for this purpose until they have been in conventional use for at least ten years.
Among the notable changes following more than 3.000 objections to the draft is the reduction of the minimum space for a holiday home, from 39 to 25 square meters. However, these properties must meet at least one of the following requirements: have a garage, have access to a pool, or generate employment. Other initial requirements, such as including electric charging stations or access via paved roads, have been eliminated. Likewise, urban plans must reserve 90% of their buildable area for residential use, with a flexible 80% for green islands.
The Canary Islands Statistics Institute estimates that the archipelago now has more than 50.000 vacation homes, concentrated mainly in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, and Fuerteventura, with an annual growth of 8%. Some experts suggest that the imminent entry into force of the law could have accelerated this increase, known as the "pull effect," although the government assures that corrective measures will be implemented to ensure compliance with the regulations.
During its drafting, the proposal faced pressure from various quarters, including attempts to remove the ban on entire buildings being used for tourist rentals and requests for amnesties for already registered properties. The Director General of Tourism Planning, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, stated that these properties must meet strict safety and accessibility criteria. He also rejected criticism that the law encroaches on municipal powers, although he acknowledged the concerns of the FECAM (Federal Council of Tourism) about the lack of resources to inspect homes.
With this law, the Canary Islands government aims to balance tourism development and urban planning, ensuring that vacation homes operate within a clear legal framework. Rodríguez also warned that those who register their property as tourist-friendly but do not rent it out within a year will automatically lose their responsible declaration. The debate continues as the legislation heads toward its final approval phase, marking a significant change in the regulation of the archipelago's tourism sector.
