Since the public information period for the Draft Law on Sustainable Regulation of Tourist Use of Housing opened in April, the number of holiday rental homes has increased by 3,830, 7% more than those that existed on April 1, previously estimated at 54,227 by the Ministry of Tourism. These figures, disclosed by the spokesperson for the Canary Islands Socialist Parliamentary Group, Sebastián Franquis, represent a “significant call to action” that needs to be addressed.
Thus, the socialists will advocate in the parliamentary session next week for an initiative to “urgently and temporarily suspend” granting more licenses for this type of rental in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, and Lanzarote until the Law is approved.
According to the PSOE, the increase in holiday homes in just two months is “almost double the number of homes built in 2017”. A situation that contrasts with Balearic Islands, where properties decreased by 1.2% between February 2023 and the same month of the current year.
“The president Fernando Clavijo has managed to disrupt the tourism sector and is limited to making statements in business forums, but fails to use the Government Council and Parliament to implement the initiatives he presents to entrepreneurs,” Franquis accused.
In addition to the temporary moratorium on holiday rentals, the socialists also demand “increasing, providing, and filling tourist inspection positions” and establishing a monthly information system, broken down by municipalities, to “identify the number of recognized holiday homes and pending applications“.
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(UPDATES TO FOLLOW)
