According to the director-general for tourism, Antoni Sansó, there were 1,455 requests to purchase licences for holiday rentals from 1 August until the middle of October. These equated to 6,800 places, 80% of which were in apartments. Sansó believes that this was a "positive" number.
However, and as has been reported previously, only 269 owners had presented the DRIAT declaration for tourist activity responsibility. Out of these, 122 have actually obtained a licence. There may have been 1,455 applications, but only 18% or so have moved to the next step of submitting the DRIAT.
The places are bought from the consortium for tourist accommodation places, which to all intents and purposes is the tourism ministry. The DRIAT has to be filled out correctly. Errors can mean applicants being fined. Once the initial application is made with the corresponding certification that has to be obtained from the relevant town hall, there is a month to present the DRIAT.
Where owners of apartments are concerned, they have to show that residents communities have given permission, provide a certificate of habitability (which establishes the maximum number of possible places) and present the town hall registration ("empadronamiento").
The four town halls to have issued the most certificates which verify that properties meet zoning and other initial requirements are Alcudia, Pollensa, Santa Margalida and Soller.
