Yahoo News Canary Islands announce major change for UK holidaymakers
Brits on holiday in the Canary Islands could notice a change if they stay in holiday rentals as the government of the Spanish islands introduces several amendments to a draft bill. The Canary Islands Department of Tourism and Employment announced the changes on Friday.
Under the proposed changes, technical requirements for holiday will be eased, such as the need to provide electric vehicle charging stations, having paved access roads and meeting strict energy efficiency criteria, local news site Canarian Weekly reports. The minimal living space required for holiday rentals will also be reduced from 39 square metres to 25 square metres.
But under the new law the property must fulfil one requirement, which could be offering parking, having a private or community pool or contributing to job creation. The amendments also state that small property owners who already rent their properties as holiday lets will be able to continue “indefinitely”, as long as they follow the new rules, but those who manage holiday rentals without owning properties will have to renew their agreements every five years.
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The proposed changes will also allow local municipalities to have more flexibility in regulating holiday rentals. But one of the most interesting features of the draft law is that newly constructed properties will “be required to serve a residential purpose for at least ten years, and so-called "pseudohotels"—large blocks of rental properties operating like hotels—are explicitly banned,” according to Canarian Weekly. It added: “Existing properties of this nature will have options to either comply with the transitional provisions, convert into urban hotels, or change to long-term residential rentals.”
The bill is set to be fast-tracked through the Canary Islands Parliament in the coming weeks after it has undergone further review, Jessica de León, the Regional Minister of Tourism and Employment said.
The proposed changes have been welcomed by Rosa Daila, president of the Tenerife Island Council stating that it would bring “order” to this type of tourism, local news site Europa Press reports. She said the new regulation needs to be “aligned” with the island’s tourism strategy, and that it is “sustainable, of quality” and allows for the distribution of income by the tourism sector.
Her comments echo the discussions surrounding tourism in the Canary Islands. In April this year locals in Tenerife and the neighbouring islands protested against mass tourism, calling for more sustainable tourism models to be introduced.
