Third holiday hotspot announces ban as Spain cracks down on tourist overcrowding

Another Spanish city has initiated a crackdown on tourist overcrowding, following rule changes announced in Barcelona and Madrid. From the beginning of December, no new tourist flats will be allowed in heavily tourist-populated parts of Malaga.

The municipal authority added an urgent veto to its meeting agenda on Monday, requesting a modification to its urban development plan to prevent the registration of new holiday rentals in areas where they already exceed 8% of the residential supply.

If approved by the whole council next week, the ban will last for three years, starting in early December. The suspension will come into force in 43 areas classified as 'saturated', while a further 32 areas are close to reaching the 8% threshold and may be added to the order after a one-year review.

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Currently, the most saturated areas, and those in which new tourist flats will not be able to open, include the historic quarter, El Ejido, La Merced, Lagunillas, Capuchinos, El Molinillo and many more.

In the rest of the city's districts, existing restrictions on tourist rentals will remain in place. The rules, approved by Malaga council last June, mean that holiday flats registered since February 22 that do not have a separate access to the one used by residents will have their licences refused.

It follows several anti-mass tourism protests across Spain in the summer as locals in areas popular with holidaymakers demanded government intervention to address issues with housing shortages, high rental prices, damage to natural environments and overcrowding.

In June, Barcelona mayor Jaume Collboni announced plans to ban short term rentals in the city starting in November 2028, while Madrid recently announced its 'Plan Reside', which means that short-term tourist apartments will no longer be allowed to operate within residential buildings.