The Canarian authorities have notched up a significant success in the ongoing drive to regulate holiday lets in the islands more strictly and remove non-compliant accommodation from the market.
A new deal struck with Airbnb has already seen, in just three weeks, nearly 160 illegal lettings blocked from appearing on the site, which is one of the biggest sources of bookings for holiday rentals in the Canaries.
The regional Ministry of Tourism has been pushing for some time to have accommodation such as motor homes, tents, yurts and even small boats removed from booking sites due to not complying with the standards required of legitimate holiday properties.
Tourism minister Jessica de León and Airbnb’s head of Marketing Services, Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, announced details of the agreement under which Airbnb is acting swiftly on information received from the Canarian authorities and delisting non-compliant holiday accommodation offers.
Rodríguez de Santiago said the agreement, similar to other initiatives undertaken by Airbnb with Ibiza and Murcia, is a major step forward in facilitating the implementation of the new EU framework for short-term lets and demonstrates Airbnb’s commitment to working with destinations and the authorities in various parts of Spain to ensure a successful transition to the new rules.
Welcoming the deal as just one element of a much broader cooperation arrangement with Airbnb and other booking platforms, minister de León stressed that the Canarian government has stepped up its scrutiny of illegal short-term lets to safeguard not just the interests of the legitimate letting industry but the also reputation of the Canaries as a holiday destination.
Under the terms of the agreement, accommodation appearing on Airbnb must submit the official registration number granted by the Canarian authorities certifying its compliance with the legislation.
Inspections are also to be stepped up to detect unregulated lets throughout the Canaries, although the minister acknowledged that the current team of inspectors is very limited, with just 14 appointed of the 45 anticipated in the resources plan approved for the increased controls.
Photo: Airbnb
