I admit I have used Airbnb - but I do genuinely think it has gone way over and above its original intention and is adversely affecting the housing market and upsetting communities

https://spanishnewstoday.com/spain_o...0211721-a.html

They should just ban holiday lets completely unless an entire building or complex has been purpose-built to serve this purpose only.

Rental market in Spain and the islands is a joke. Dutch have just bought in mass and short term leasing everything for silly money.

After the massive protests yesterday the news debate programmes were saying something has to be done now to allow Spanish access to housing. Apparently in Catalonia there is a brain drain as so many science graduates are moving to jobs abroad. They were also pointing out that an anti- foreigner stance was becoming more evident in the protests. Apparently Polish are now buying 2nd properties in large numbers pushing prices up as they are increasingly worried about the Ukrainian war. Something will need to be done soon as it is the number one problem seen by the Spanish voters.

The cost of Airbnb seems to have risen quite a lot generally over last 2 years I tend to use hotels and hostals for short breaks but have used Airbnb in past for longer stays in apartments and had some lovely places at good price. I see in our own little village more and more properties becoming holiday let's these days. it seems to be the current property trend along with camper vans. It clearly makes it difficult for the hotels and hostals but if it's legal and there is money to made then it's what will happen. I must admit as we keep an house ourselves in the UK it's something I considered more lucrative to have a nice rural or seaside apartment to rent out and just block out dates allowing for your own use to visit . A couple of months rent as holiday home can bring in more income than long term renting , so I can see the appeal. They are building plenty of apartment blocks at coast near us I wonder how many are for Airbnb type use versus proper homes..

I wonder though how many Spaniards actually also use Airbnb for holidaying either in Spain or out with Spain? It would be interesting to see statistics on nationalities both owning and using Airbnb.

Spanish are the main owners of Airbnb in Spain.

That's as expected given how many Spaniards seem to own more than one property . It would be interesting though re other nationalities .

Not sure I would be tempted to own a second property in the UK - lots of changing rules and regs and lots for sale they were saying on the BBC radio.

Remember also that Spanish tax relief and allowances are much better for letting property long term and usually less maintenance and work, but each to their own.

Dont you think that would create other problems in driving down other revenue sources that are derived indirectly from holiday lets ?

If thats true then perhaps the Spanish are the cause of their own problem, rather than people blaming the tourists who rent the properties, blame then Spanish owners.

it’s easier to blame others.

I've never used Airbnb, but used to rent apartments for short stays either through Booking.com or booking direct. However, we don't now unless the apartment is in a building entirely for that use and has staff on site 24/7. For two reasons, firstly having become aware of the worsening housing crisis not just in Spain but, it seems, just about everywhere which the explosion in short term letting to tourists has contributed to, but also because of the move away by owners and letting companies from having someone to meet the renter and let them into the apartment, to self check in and having to get the keys from a key safe. I don't like that as if there are any problems immediately obvious with the property, there is nobody there to take them up with, and it's just a deterioration in the service provided whilst prices did not go down after it became common. For part of my recent visit to the UK I rented a serviced apartment in a building I've stayed in before, in central Manchester. It's wholly for short term letting and has 24 hour reception service. I dropped my luggage off with them at 11.00 am and when I went back at 4.00 pm to check in, I was told they'd already taken my (large and heavy) suitcase up to the apartment for me. I appreciate that kind of service rather than having to mess about opening a key safe, and as I was travelling alone as I usually do when in the UK, I feel safer if there are always staff on site.

I too used Airbnb, Booking.com whilst spending a year exploring Spain and certainly a reasonable percentage were Spanish owned. One of the worst examples of tourist lets is Gandia Playa. Stayed there for several months off season and it was dead with thousands of apartments closed up. Went back last August as passing through and it was slammed and was lucky to find parking. Such a contrast. Land Registry knows who owns what and their nationality through DNI/NIE etc.but they don’t want to come clean!

There have also been protests in some areas over hotel developments so it's not just the private holiday renters it's over development of certain areas that is issue which of course includes local people being priced out of property rental or purchase.How many of the Spanish Airbnb owners are actually local to where they their rental property is? Possibly why the key safe or electronic access is used so often now. Many Spaniards may live well inland away from tourist areas but own an apartment or holiday home for personal use at the coast renting out at peak times when they aren't using it. They don't get the hassle as they don't live there. Near us Torre Del Mar is like a different town July into Sept you can't get parked there it's rammed yes some continental holidaymakers more in recent years but mainly Spanish holiday home owners. After scholl holidays it returns to normality. Building of apartments is ever ongoing there it must have near doubled in size since we first came here and looks set to continue growing along with much of its near coastal areas. So yes I get the anger but Axarquia Junta wants this increased tourism it is an area they are pushing for tourism, no doubt they see the money west of Málaga Costas get and think we will have the same. It's a catch 22 situation