Brits looking for a tourist flat in Spain could be in for a major shock, with a special plan being drawn up in a huge city that could see a ban imposed.
The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, is believed to have advanced the government’s new ordinance to strongly regulate these accommodations in the city.
This comes as several Spanish authorities also look to address residents’ concerns about being priced out of the property market due to the ever-increasing tourism in the country.
The Madrid City Council is currently preparing this special plan regarding measures to curb tourist apartments and looks to prohibit their operation in buildings where there are long-term residents.
These new plans being drawn up were announced on October 30 by Mayor Almeida who looks to limit the action of the Tourist Use Dwellings (VUT) which will be “prohibited”.
The term VUT refers to properties that are rented out for short-term breaks, typically to tourists.
Almeida said: “The prohibition will be approved within two weeks” with the action helping to “generate more housing in the centre of Madrid”.
The mayor previously announced that no authorisation would be given to properties converted from commercial to residential tourist lets in the centre of the city
This new plan will also look to “definitively regulate” VUTs, with two other important measures being brought in that have not been specified until now.
Currently, the rules surrounding a VUT to operate in Madrid requires an activity license which is granted by the City Council.
New permits for these VUT’s are currently halted until new regulations by the major have been approved.
However, advertisements for these types of properties continue to soar since its halt.
This is despite hefty fines for owners who do not follow these rules as the number of city inspectors were increased by 15 to 75%.
Almeida announced this new regulation which will be named the “Special Protection Plan for the Residential Area”.
He further explained that these new plans would change “the transformation of private-use institutional buildings into residential buildings in central Madrid, provided they are intended for affordable housing.”
Prohibition “on main commercial axes” will also apply, announced the mayor.
He explained how these changes will greatly affect “the transformation of commercial premises into tourist housing to preserve the identity of neighborhoods and preserve small and medium-sized businesses.”
