Tourism minister Biel Barceló said that the report makes no sense and that it is difficult to understand. Specific powers that are being queried are those for establishing a ceiling for the number of tourist places and for granting island councils the responsibilities for the zoning of rentals. Indeed, the power to be able to regulate holiday rentals at all appears to being queried.
Barceló insisted that the government defends its right of self-government to regulate tourist activity as well as its right to establish caps on numbers because of limited territory. "It is an attack on our autonomy and has a series of legal inconsistencies, while it is also inconsistent with what the Partido Popular in the Balearics have maintained." Barceló believed that there is PP "double-speak", with the party in the Balearics demanding prohibition while in Madrid it wants liberalisation.
The minister added that the draft of the legislation was sent to the national government's delegation, which considered it to be within the framework of existing legality. "We can only believe that there are political motivations for the report."
11 comments
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Surely it's actually Barceló that's doing the interfering here, the law is the law, and doesn't need fixing. Hacienda are the ones that need to do their part, not Barceló.
The governments should all calm down about this. Supply and demand will dictate it. The good operators will survive and those good operators are the ones that will lay down "rules and regulations" to their guests also and offer a high standard experience for the cost.Some owners will not do it after a while as it is costly, hard work and long term rental income has increased a lot since the recession - so it is more profitable to long term rent your property now than holiday let as "saturation" has happened in many areas, so holiday rental weekly prices have reduced in real terms but your electrics eg. have increased dramatically.A holiday rentee is often very carefree and will leave all air con on 24 hours - so the bills are extortionate. Once you add in the utility bills, change of linens, clean through, continuous management, repair of items broken, the hassle involved. Many will stop doing it. But the hoteliers and Mallorcan government should realise that the holiday makers of 2020 now want spacious trendy apartments to stay in etc.and not tiny narrow bedrooms with no acoustic insulation etc.
As mentioned it is not unusual to have rental restrictions. It is a tricky situation as Estate Agents often advertise a property with good rental potential. So I feel sorry for the people who have bought and now find they are unable to do this legally. As an owner if various properties on the island since the late 80s I am used to various ruled appearing and coming to nothing. My villa is in the countryside and I am legal as it doesn't bother anyone. Agents must stop misleading apartment buyers.
Goodness me! The government of the country annoying the tinpot dictator! Whatever next? U.D.I.?
Then most of you agree that "Party Boats" should be regulated and controlled and standards set.What is good for the goose is good for the gander.
Then please be aware that London, Amsterdam, Barcelona and many other cities are staring to apply the same rules.Your freedom to let is the same as my freedom to not have different groups spoling my daily life for most of the year. The whole thing has got out of hand and needs to be regulated and controlled, with standards being applied. Anyway, you came here to enjoy the sun, not to run a "business".I hope there is room for all the negative votes I get.
As a property owner in Mallorca I feel absolutely abused by the constant interference by the authorities to prevent us from holiday renting. This has a massive knock on effect to the entire economy and as far as I am aware such regulations and interference does not happen anywhere else in the world. If the Balearics want to maintain their high quality image and support tourism surely their current attitude can only be described as very negative and backward thinking. Indeed the hoteliers seem to have been given such advantages that in most cases they can't even be bothered to open off season so the only loser must be the government and local traders who are being prevented from maximising opportunities.
Barceló's fantasies are not worth printing. Madrid governs Spain and his idiotic ideas and highly questionable motives will never come to be.
In non political speak,Barcelo does not like the fact that realists in Madrid have ruled that private apartments can be rented out and no doubt the hoteliers will soon start crying foul.
Yes. - it's not an "attack on our autonomy" as Barceló thinks, it's a reminder that we are a democracy, and you cannot discriminate to feather your own nest. Well done the real government.