It seems amazing that the Balearic authorities can’t come up with legislation which would allow all property owners to rent out their homes to tourists for short periods of time with relative ease; not only would it help the tourist industry it would also boost the real estate sector on the islands.
At the moment, thousands of homes across the Balearics are being rented out illegally; owners are not declaring their earnings and the ministry for tourism can’t establish whether the homes meet the necessary standards. This is not the way forward and as a direct result legislation is needed to ensure that everything is in order. The so-called illegal property market is very much in the shadows. The new legislation approved by the Balearic government this week only adds to the confusion.
The hoteliers have been vocal critics of private rentals for many years. They claim that customers are being "robbed and cheated" by their so-called illegal competitors. So the simple solution is to introduce legislation which is easy to follow and would give everyone the right to rent out their homes legally.
It is often said that a growing number of tourists do no want to stay in hotels; they prefer the private rental option. They are not really interested in whether the property has its paperwork in order, they just want a nice holiday in a nice property. Obviously it is a complicated operation but it should be a key issue at the tourism ministry. It needs resolving.