Apartment owners call for all fines under Canary Islands Tourism Law to be cancelled
The Platform of Those Affected by the Tourism Law (PALT) has formally requested that the Canary Islands Government cancel all fines issued against apartment and bungalow owners who live in their own properties or refuse to hand them over to licensed tourist operators or receptions.
Despite the regional government’s announcement earlier this year that penalties would be suspended, owners continue to receive fines of up to €2,500 — even during August, according to PALT.
“Unjustifiable harm” to residents
Maribe Doreste, president of the platform, described the situation as “unjustifiable harm” to property owners, who she said have been “betrayed in their legitimate trust, stripped of legal security, and treated with unprecedented arbitrariness.”
She argued that the government’s approach, which she claims hides behind “apparent legality,” denies essential constitutional rights and unfairly targets owners while showing “laziness” in tackling tourist operators who openly break the rules.
“Some owners are sanctioned while others are ignored, in one building yes, in another no; on some islands yes, on others no; in one municipality yes, in another no,” said Doreste. “And the most insulting part is telling citizens publicly that fines have been suspended when sanctions have continued to be signed, even in August.”
The platform is calling for the unconditional cancellation of all ongoing sanction procedures, arguing that apartments and bungalows are “genuine homes” and that owners have simply exercised rights that the law has permitted until now.
ASCAV echoes the complaint
The Canary Islands Holiday Rental Association (ASCAV) also criticised the government last week, saying fines of €2,000 are still being imposed. ASCAV explained that the suspension does not apply in practice because it requires all owners within a complex to unanimously agree to convert the building to residential use, something they describe as “absolutely impossible.”
According to the association, the current framework represents a form of “harassment and demolition” of property rights, since owners are prevented from living in their homes, renting them out for holidays, letting them long-term, or even using them for personal weekend or holiday stays.
A long-running dispute
The Canary Islands Tourism Law has long been controversial, particularly in popular tourist areas such as Playa del Inglés, where many apartment complexes were built in the 1960s and 70s. Property owners argue that they should have the right to live in or rent their properties freely, while the government maintains that regulation is necessary to protect the region’s tourism model.
For now, the dispute continues, with thousands of owners facing fines and legal uncertainty, despite government assurances that sanctions would be halted.
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