Just when you thought you’d seen it all, an image appears on social media that highlights the housing problem in the Canary Islands. Although Tenerife is being dragged through the UK press at the moment, the problem exists in resorts across the archipelago which is why the April 20th protests are taking place simultaneously in five islands – Tenerife, Gran Cana Caria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Palma.
This time the image is of a residential complex in Costa Teguise in Lanzarote called Playa Roca. The person who posted the picture on X (Twitter), known as @txapulincolorid says: “People used to live here. It was the typical old complex where people lived, but a while ago long-term rentals stopped here. Anyone in Lanzarote knows which one Playa Roca is.”
At the entrance to the complex, there is the familiar site of ‘key boxes’ on the wall with combination locks for holidaymakers to get the keys. However, at this one, there aren’t two or three boxes but 43… yes 43!!
Yesterday, the Minister of Tourism for the Canary Islands, Jéssica de León, and the general director of Tourism Planning, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, presented the new draft Law on Sustainable Planning of the Tourist Use of Housing, which will provide city councils with tools to plan and regulate the use of housing for tourists.
Among other things, the new decree will establish that 90% of the residential buildable area must be used as a permanent address, i.e. for residents and long term lets, not holiday lets. It will also allow municipalities to adapt their urban planning regulations and delimit where they want these homes.
The Government of the Canary Islands will also make a ‘Vacation Housing Dashboard’ available to local councils, a digital tool that will allow the evolution of this accommodation modality to be consulted in real time and in a georeferenced manner so they can always see what the situation is in real time.
Lastly, although there will be a five-year implementation plan, anyone who already lets their property to holidaymakers will have to meet new legislation or stop.
