Tenerife holiday homes 'abandoned by UK tourists' due to EU rule change

Brits with holiday homes in Tenerife are 'abandoning the island' due to a post-Brexit rule change. As new regulations mean UK citizens can only spend a maximum of 90 days in Spain at one time, some fed up holidaymakers who used to spend months in their Canary Islands abodes are now selling up.

It comes as tensions have increased between foreign residents and Tenerife locals in the past few months .Thousands hit the streets for a massive protest over the weekend, demanding a cap on tourist numbers, declaring their beloved islands were "not for sale".

However The Express reports an exodus of Brits who split their time between the UK and Spain is already occurring. Lisa Robertson, who manages Jags Bar, a Scottish pub in Playa de las Americas, told the publication: “I know at least four people who have sold their houses over here because they can't come out as much as they used to be able to."

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She continued: “There’s one couple in particular who used to do eight months [in the Canaries] and then six months in Scotland. But because they can only stay for 90 days they just sold their holiday home.”

The island’s spiralling rental prices, which are one of the major complaints from protesters, have also impacted Brits, Lisa said. She added: "I know families of four who’ve moved to one-bedroom flats because it’s cheaper. They’ve been in places for years, but the landlords have put the rent up so much they can’t afford it.”