Government takes action on housing for young people and families
In a significant move to address Spain’s housing crisis, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced a major crackdown on illegal rental properties. The initiative specifically targets the difficulties faced by young people and families who find it nearly impossible to access housing under current market conditions. The government has identified and requested the removal of 53,876 rental listings across the country that violate regulations, many of which are attempting to operate as illegal holiday lets.
Canary Islands: a hotspot for regulatory breaches
Of the nationwide total, a substantial 8,698 illegal listings are located in the Canary Islands archipelago, highlighting the significant pressure the tourism sector places on the local housing market. This action will force these properties back into the long-term rental pool, making them available for permanent residents. Sánchez announced the policy at a PSOE rally in Málaga, stating, “This past Monday, after receiving all the information from the single rental registry, we detected thousands of irregularities in many of these homes. They intend to become tourist, holiday rentals. What we are going to do is remove 53,000 homes from that registry so that they become constant, permanent rentals for the young people and families of our country.”
Why these listings are being removed
The properties in question had applied for the mandatory registration number required since July 1st but failed to obtain it because they did not meet legal requirements. Digital rental platforms are now obligated to remove advertisements for these properties, which may have been listed on multiple sites simultaneously. A revoked registration code indicates that the College of Registrars received an application that contained incomplete data or information that did not comply with regulations for the intended activity, and the issues were not corrected within a specified deadline.
Municipal breakdown in the Canaries
The distribution of non-compliant properties across the Canary Islands reveals key tourist hotspots as the main offenders. The municipality of Adeje in Tenerife leads the archipelago with 765 illegal listings. It is followed by San Bartolomé de Tirajana in Gran Canaria with 637, and Puerto de la Cruz, also in Tenerife, with 531. The islands of Fuerteventura and Lanzarote also show high numbers, with La Oliva reporting 484 and Yaiza reporting 442 non-compliant properties, respectively.
Provincial capitals show lower numbers
In contrast to the major tourist towns, the provincial capitals account for a smaller proportion of the illegal listings. Las Palmas de Gran Canaria has 350 properties identified for removal, while Santa Cruz de Tenerife has 259.
National context of the crackdown
This nationwide effort positions the Canary Islands as the second Autonomous Community with the highest concentration of properties to be intervened by the Spanish government, with a total of 8,698. Only Andalusia surpasses this figure, with 16,740 illegal listings. Catalonia ranks third nationally, with 7,729 properties scheduled for removal from rental platforms.
