A third of all holiday flat requests came from Pollensa

A THIRD of the requests to legalise flats for holiday letting came from Pollensa, according to sources from the Balearic tourism ministry, who said that 2'256 requests for legalisation had been received in total. Under the decree 17/2006 of February 17, flats for holiday letting had to start the vetting and regulating process before September 30 this year.
Mayor of Pollensa Bartomeu Cifre of the Partido Popular (PP) confirmed that 743 requests for legalisation had been submitted from the town, and that five had already won the accreditation of quality needed in order to operate. Cifre praised the process as this sector of the holiday market is very important for Pollensa.
He pointed out that the pact signed by the PP and Majorcan Unionists (UM) in order to run the council with a working majority, had six points which included the promise to regulate holiday flats. Cifre said that it was impossible to know if there were any flats for holiday lets which have not requested the accreditation, as there is no register for such properties. But, he added, “if they have not presented the paperwork, it is not because of lack of information, as the Pollensa council have given every facility to interested parties.” In fact, to make matters easier, the council, in collaboration with the tourism ministry, opened a special office in the Sant Domingo cloister, the only office of its kind outside of Palma. Cifre made a positive evaluation of the office, which handled 25 per cent of all the requests presented and also “helped bring the man in the street closer to the administration.” The office is still open at the moment, to correct any errors in the paperwork.
The flats are now being inspected to make sure they comply with the requisites needed for their quality certificate, which will allow them to be operated as rental accommodation for tourism. Flats which have this accreditation cannot be used as a permanent residence.