Your views

Dear Sir,
When will the phrase ‘ Illegal Letting’ cease to be used?As I have repeated many times in your columns over the years, there is no such crime. Any person owning property in Spain is legally entitled to let any part of his property if he so desires, providing, if he lets for payment, and makes a profit in so doing he informs Hacienda.
 The great difficulty is that many owners only let to friends and relatives without receiving any payment as such apart from the normal expense incurred.
 Even if the authorities receive little returns from these property owners, it should not be forgotten that the tourists who reside here enjoying the manifold delights available (much is free), do tend to patronise shops, restaurants, bars, water parks etc. Thus providing employment to a vast number of indigenous inhabitants, while the chief complainers of “illegal lets”, the hoteliers, who hypocritically have the all-inclusives, designed to keep their clientele confined to the four walls of the hotel entirely for their stay.
 I know which system I prefer!
 Yours sincerely,
Phil Green
El Toro