The circumstances surrounding the 88 municipalities vary significantly, and this variation is evident across each island. This was the underlying sentiment of scepticism expressed during Thursday’s discussions by representatives of the Cabildos, who conveyed their apprehensions to Tourism Minister Jéssica de León regarding the contents of the Law regulating holiday rentals currently under consideration in the Regional Chamber.
They are calling for the text to provide more flexibility, arguing that “holiday housing is far from being a problem; it is a means to enhance the income of numerous families” on the so-called green islands. This viewpoint was articulated by Adasat Reyes, the Vice-President of the Gomera Cabildo, who urged for “rationality and to avoid imposing unfeasible requirements.” In order to alleviate these concerns, León reassured attendees that the law “allows for the creation of 88 distinct strategies tailored to the municipalities, while prioritising the general interest of the 2.2 million Canarians.”
Echoing this sentiment, Jesús Machín, the Tourist Planning Councillor of the Lanzarote council, argued that “tourist housing is not doomed; in numerous locations, the income generated helps to fund education for young people in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.” He cautioned that municipalities with populations under 10,000 would find it “very challenging to adhere to the provisions of the new law due to a lack of technical and human resources.” Meanwhile, Nereida Calero, the Minister of Presidency of the Cabildo de Fuerteventura, advocated for more flexible “timeframes” to regulate tourist accommodations if the legal framework is to be “effective and functional.”
Representatives from Fuerteventura, El Hierro and Lanzarote assert that these additional incomes “fund education” in Tenerife and Gran Canaria
In light of these requests, the minister sought to reassure the island representatives both during a press briefing prior to her parliamentary appearance and throughout the proceedings themselves. She affirmed that her team is “fully cognisant of the specific tools and resources available” to assist the institutions. Consequently, the legislative text “empowers councils and municipalities to collaborate with management associations or professional groups, among others, to facilitate this complex process.”
“All municipalities are backed by the Ministry in issuing provisional municipal ordinances,” she emphasised, pointing out that the law provides all local entities with the means to effectively regulate tourist rentals without necessitating amendments to the General Plan for Urban Development, as demonstrated by the City of Granadilla (Tenerife), which has clearly articulated its intentions within a concise ordinance.
Suspending New Licenses
Another contentious issue was raised by José Miguel Ruano, the Vice-President and Councillor for Territorial Policy of the Cabildo de Tenerife, who highlighted the need for the government to establish a legal framework. He remarked that the Tenerife Insular Corporation has been inundated with requests. Moreover, he stressed the necessity to legislate against the encroachment of “large property owners and investment funds into the tourism and hotel sector.”
In this context, De León reaffirmed that the legislative proposal recorded in Parliament on Thursday includes numerical caps on holiday housing, stating that no further licenses can be issued until planning is established, thus implementing a moratorium—a position supported by the parliamentary groups of the PSOE and NC-BC to date.
The law reserves 90% of land for residential use, and growth will be zero in strained areas
She also countered claims made by the ‘Canarist’ spokesperson Luis Campos and his counterpart from the PSOE, Gustavo Santana, denying the existence of an effect referred to as the ‘Canary Effect.’ She maintained that since public consultation on the bill commenced, there have been 16,520 New Responsible Declarations initiated, “albeit not all are being marketed.”
In conclusion, Minister León defended the notion that the new legislation “is not the sole remedy” to the housing crisis and the shortage of “affordable accommodation,” but rather “forms part of a wider solution as it restores the social purpose of housing, urges territorial planners to exercise their responsibilities, and legislates within the specific domain of tourist use.”
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