(English) Towards stricter laws concerning tourist rentals in Valencia

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Next week, on 23 and 24 May, the regional elected representatives (the Corts) will debate the new regulations concerning the rental of real estate to tourists.

If the various legislative proposals are adopted, a few important changes could make it difficult for a very large number of landlords to obtain rental permits and thus outlaw them.

To start, in addition to the registration to the tourist services of the Generalitat Valenciana already mandatory, the owners will also have to request a permit from each town hall and therefore comply with the standards imposed by each municipality. Without the agreement of the Delegacion de Urbanismo of the Town Hall, and therefore compliance with the standards and obligations imposed by each city, the apartment can not be operated for tourism purposes. It is the PGOU (Plan General de Ordenacion Urbana) of each municipality that will decide what is allowed or not.

In Valencia capital, where it is estimated that there are nearly 5,000 tourist accommodations, restrictive laws already exist such as the obligation to be on the ground floor or first floor, but they are cheerfully violated since we know that 70% of these accommodations do not meet these standards. Producing decrees, amendments and laws can deter, but having few means of control and sanctions seriously limits this deterrent effect. Even if cases of sanctions (sometimes high fines) for non-compliance with the rules have been reported following controls, the current enthusiasm for this form of investment (for owners) or short stays (for tourists) tends to exceed the public authorities.