Canary Islands Holiday Let Law officially backed by Courts
The Canary Islands’ controversial holiday rental law has received a major boost after the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands, TSJC, rejected a legal challenge against the public consultation process used to introduce the legislation.
The ruling supports the actions of the Canary Islands Government during the preparation of the Law for the Sustainable Regulation of Tourist Housing Use, one of the most significant pieces of legislation introduced in recent years to address the growing tensions between tourism and access to housing for residents across the islands.
The law, which was approved by the Canary Islands Parliament in November 2025 and came into force the following month, has sparked heated debate among politicians, property owners, tourism businesses and residents concerned about the impact of holiday rentals on local housing availability.
According to the court ruling, dated 6th May 2026, the consultation process was carried out correctly and with “all guarantees”, dismissing claims that there were administrative irregularities or a lack of transparency during the drafting of the legislation.
The challenge had called for a second public consultation to be carried out, but the court concluded that this was unnecessary because the original process already met the legal requirements for public participation and access to information.
The Canary Islands Government said the ruling confirms that more than 5,000 public submissions received during the consultation were properly handled and that all requested information had been made available throughout the process.
The regional Tourism and Employment Department, led by Jéssica de León, described the decision as a strong endorsement of the government’s approach to developing the law.
Meanwhile, the Director General for Tourism Planning, Training and Promotion, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, said the ruling supports “a working model based on transparency, public participation and technical rigour”.
The regulation of holiday rentals remains one of the most divisive political and economic issues in the Canary Islands, with ongoing disagreements between tourism operators, homeowners, local residents’ groups and public authorities over how to balance tourism growth with the islands’ worsening housing crisis.
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