The surge in tourist apartments has become one of the region’s defining traits. Mass tourism, supported by years of growth, has drawn more visitors, fueling local economies but also sparking tensions. Access to housing for residents has grown harder, neighborhoods have felt the squeeze, and coexistence has become a growing concern. In response, more cities and regions are introducing measures to curb or streamline this booming sector.
These discussions emerged during a roundtable at the congress Housing: current issues, organized by the University of Alicante and the Spanish College of Registrars. The gathering also explored a draft regulation from the Council and the European Parliament intended to standardize data exchange among administrators, travelers, and platforms like Airbnb, aiming to curb illegal rentals.
Raquel Guimaraes, a Civil Law professor at the University of Porto, highlighted Portugal’s experience. The country has seen its major cities transform as tourist apartments proliferate, prompting a temporary halt on new permits. Portugal sits among Europe’s most saturated markets, with about 40 apartment listings per 1,000 residents in its second city, far above Madrid or Rome. In some neighborhoods, more than 60 percent of real estate stock is used for this purpose, according to data shared by the expert.
The forthcoming law will compel municipalities to craft plans that set maximum apartment shares for the city, while enabling them to pinpoint saturated zones. It will also require owners to obtain neighbor approval if they intend to rent their property in a building. The aim is to balance housing availability with the vitality that tourist accommodations can bring to urban centers.
Universities faculty member María Nelida Tur of the Balearic Islands noted that the global trend toward tighter controls is clear, with Portugal providing one of the most extreme examples. She recalled pervasive housing access problems that push tourism-related rentals into many hot spots across Spain.
In Alicante, the surge in tourist apartments has led to a marked expansion in available beds compared with traditional hotels. This shift has prompted cities across the region to rethink where such accommodations can operate and under what conditions, in order to protect residents and ensure responsible development.
Normative diversity and local measures
Similarly, Valencia has seen municipal bodies place limits on tourist flats located on residential floors to ease pressure on housing markets. Barcelona has moved to pause new licenses, and Palma has implemented a temporary ban on permits for this use, allowing it only in single-family homes. Urban authorities increasingly scrutinize online lease agreements to improve enforcement and tax compliance, with Balearic Government estimates suggesting that up to 90 percent of tourist rentals may operate outside the formal framework.
Amid these debates, the policy focus has shifted toward a centralized data framework. The European Regulation on the Collection and Exchange of Data Regarding Short-Term Accommodation Services promises to create a single channel for monthly reporting. This digital window would help authorities verify compliance, while travelers would gain clearer visibility into the legality of the accommodations they contract. The aim is to streamline registrations and data sharing across borders, reducing opportunities for illegal activity and improving market oversight.
Torrevieja has emerged as a case study of growth, reportedly surpassing Valencia with nearly 28,829 available tourist flats. Yet not all European countries pursue identical paths. Italy, for instance, appears to engage in fewer debates about tourist lettings, with the main concern focusing on when hosts should respond to business inquiries and the need for proper VAT registration and local Chamber of Commerce registration for operators.
Around the discussion table, experts underscored the importance of robust regulatory frameworks that protect housing affordability while allowing responsible tourism to flourish. The conversation continues to evolve as cities weigh the balance between economic benefits and social sustainability in an increasingly data-driven and interconnected market. [Source: academic and governmental roundtables and regional studies cited in the conference reports]