The Government continues its fight against illegal tourist rentals and the General Directorate of Consumption, dependent on the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumption has initiated a sanctioning file against a well-known tourist apartment rental platform for maintaining thousands of ads with illicit advertising. And according to the minister, Pablo Bustinduy “No company, no matter how big or small, can be above the law.”
According to reports from the ministry itself, the measure is part of a Government strategy to guarantee that tourist homes comply with current regulations. Consumption explains that the advertisements in question could be engaging in unfair commercial practices by not including mandatory information, such as the license number in autonomous communities where it is an essential requirement.
This new action comes after, in June, a request was sent to this and other platforms requesting information about the homes advertised on their websites. Upon verifying that the ads were not eliminated, it opened the sanctioning file, which could lead to fines of up to 100,000 euros or moredepending on the economic benefit generated. The Ministry emphasizes that this measure does not prejudge the final result, but they underline the seriousness of the problem.
Consumption aims to contribute to tackling the housing crisis in Spain
The tourist apartments have been pointed out on several occasions as a contributing factor to the housing crisis in Spain. The shortage of affordable rentals and rising prices have been attributed, in part, to the proliferation of this type of accommodation, especially in urban and tourist areas.
Faced with this situation, the Government has implemented measures such as allowing neighborhood communities to vote on whether tourist housing can be established in their buildings, as well as laws to reduce the duration of lease contracts and protect tenants from abusive clauses.
In this sense, Minister Pablo Bustinduy has reiterated the commitment of the Ministry of Social Rights and Consumer Affairs to the defense of consumer rights and the fight against irregularities in the housing sector, to tackle the crisis that the sector is currently going through.
“There are thousands of families living on the edge in our country because of housing, while a few get rich with business models that expel people from their homes,” has stated.