Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 14 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) – The Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda has notified 8,698 illegal tourist flats in the Canary Islands to digital platforms, instructing them to remove online advertisements for these accommodations. These properties have applied for the mandatory registration number since 1 July but have not obtained it as they do not meet legal requirements.

Withdrawal Mandated

Consequently, the various platforms will need to proceed with removing the advertisements for these properties, which may be listed across multiple websites, as emphasised by the Ministry in a press release.

Statistics on Revoked Applications

According to these national figures, the Canary Islands ranks as the second autonomous community after Andalusia (16,740) with the highest number of revoked applications (8,698). More specifically, the municipalities within the archipelago with the largest number of rejected applications are: Adeje (Tenerife) with 765; San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria) with 637; Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) with 531; La Oliva (Fuerteventura) with 484; and Yaiza (Lanzarote) with 442.

Spain Leads in Registration Initiatives

According to the state department, Spain has been the first country in Europe to implement a Unique Register of Temporary Accommodations, in collaboration with the College of Registrars, aimed at eradicating fraud in tourist rentals. Through the Ministry’s Digital Single Window, registration data is cross-referenced with digital platforms, which are cooperating to identify advertisements lacking codes.

Overview of Registration Process

Since its launch on 1 January, the register has received a total of 336,497 applications, of which 264,998 (78.75%) pertain to tourist rentals. Out of these, 53,786 have been revoked (20.3%).

A Notable Exception: Community of Madrid

The Community of Madrid stands out as a “major anomaly” within the registers, as the percentages are inverted: 83% of properties applying for registration have done so as temporary accommodations, while only 17% have registered as tourist rentals. Of the 3,513 applications for tourist rental registration, over a third have been revoked for non-compliance with regulations.

If a code is revoked, it indicates that the College of Registrars received the application, which contained incomplete details or did not comply with the current regulations for the intended activity, and was not rectified within a timely manner.