Spain is set to become the most visited country in the world by 2040, and the effects of overtourism are being felt across the country.
Last week, 40 Spanish cities saw demonstrations by locals expressing their discontent. In Barcelona, a dedicated ‘selfie zone’ is set to be built at the Sagrada Familia to curb overcrowding, and last year the city announced plans to ban all short-term holiday lets from operating.
Recommended: What is the Spain ‘tourism ban’?
While the reality of that is still up in the air, a new law has just been put in place to clamp down on tourist rentals and ease the country’s housing crisis. The rule extends across the Canary Islands, one of Spain’s most popular tourist hotspots.
According to Canarian Weekly, property owners who want to use their homes for short-term rentals now need permission from 60 percent of the neighbours in their community, and if the rule is ignored, locals have the right to demand that the rental stops its operations.
It’s an amendment to the Horizontal Property Act, which now provides Spanish residents with a legal framework to properly confront unapproved rentals. However, the charge won’t be applied to existing rental properties.
But that’s not all that’s being introduced. According to Yorkshire Live, the government has implied that it’s considering introducing tax regulations that would categorise rentals as economic activity. If it’s put into action, owners will have to pay VAT (which in Spain is known as IVA).
While this all sounds drastic, average rents in Spain have reportedly soared by 44 percent over the last 10 years, according to Idealista.
You can read more on how to be a better tourist in Europe’s most visited cities, and stay tuned for more updates on Time Out’s travel homepage.
Did you see that these are Europe’s most beautiful campsites, according to the Guardian?
Plus: The world’s most beautiful cities to visit in spring.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.