The government is moving to reform the Horizontal Property Act with the aim of prohibiting tourist apartments in all homeowner communities. This outline came from Isabel Rodríguez, the minister of Housing and Urban Agenda, in an interview on Telecinco’s Mirada Crítica program. She emphasized that mayors, regional governments, and the national government must stand with citizens and ensure access to decent housing.
Drawing on Supreme Court jurisprudence, Rodríguez described holiday rentals as an economic activity. She noted that a proposed modification would treat these activities as economic in nature and subject them to the same rules that govern other property uses, highlighting the political responsibility to balance competing interests among values faced by policymakers.
The minister pointed to Madrid as a key example. She urged the mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, to intervene in the market because it is impeding the ability of residents to secure a decent home. Rodríguez cited reports suggesting that a large share of Madrid’s apartments operate illegally, estimating around 12,000 illegal units. She described the scale of the problem as comparable to the anticipated housing supply from a major development project under way in the city.
Rodríguez also defended giving neighborhood residents greater authority to prevent an individual property from becoming a tourist apartment. Supreme Court rulings in two cities, Oviedo and San Sebastián, supported prohibitions on temporary lodging in those blocks. The minister underscored that homeowner communities should have substantial influence over decisions that affect their living environments.
Meeting with the FEMP
Later in the day, Rodríguez planned to meet with the Housing and Tourism commissions of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces to discuss the legislative changes needed across different levels of government to limit tourist apartments. The discussions would include senior officials from Housing and Urban Agenda and from Industry and Tourism, with state secretaries David Lucas and Rosario Sánchez Grau taking part on behalf of their respective ministries.