Statistically, 2017 was a record-breaking year for Spanish tourism. It also, however, was a year during which there has been a lot of debate about the sustainability of tourism and holiday rentals. In this context of debate, Fevitur, the Federación Española de Asociaciones de Viviendas y Apartamentos Turísticos, which comprises 17 associations representing 125,000 apartments, denounced the present holiday rentals regulation chaos.
A turning point was the modification in 2013 of the national Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos to the Ley de Flexibilización y Fomento del Mercado del Alquiler de Viviendas. From that moment on, holiday rentals would fall under the legislation of the autonomous communities. Consequently, autonomous communities have been introducing legislation to regulate the local holiday rental market resulting in a regulation chaos.
Fevitur is in favour of ''reasonable terms'', but believes that the present requirements in certain autonomous communities limit the right to compete. The groups keeps advocating for reasonable terms as they see that in regions where there is reasonable regulation everything happens within the local legislative framework. Right now, however, there are holiday rentals which operate outside of this framework and do not pay taxes impeding a proper distribution of revenue in the sector. Fevitur underlines that all of its associates operate legally paying taxes.
The main sticking point for Fevitur is the legislation in the Balearics. The group denounced the Balearic law to the European Union via its balearic partner Aptur. The law ''is in reality a non-explicit ban on holiday rentals in the whole of the Balearics,'' says Pablo Zubicaray, Fevitur's president. The local Balearic government, however, declares that with the enactment of the new law it is looking for the holiday rental advertising platforms ''to cooperate and not allow illegal offering.''
On the other side, Fevitur says that there are, however, also examples of good practice such as Murcia, where ''there are very accessible requirements'' and Valencia, a community where ''it is easy for private individuals and agents to register properties.''
That's why, according to Fevitur, introducing a national regulation would be a good response to the present chaos in the tourist sector. In this context, reinstalling the former national regulation Ley de Arrendamientos Urbanos could be an appropriate first measure. Another future measure could be the Real Decreto del Ministerio de Hacienda which should help to create more transparency and to identify all holiday rentals subject to taxation.