Another town hall has an issue with the rate of rubbish tax applied to holiday rental properties. Unlike Muro, which has an abundance of such properties in Playa de Muro and in other areas, Sant Joan has a total of just 280 rental accommodation places (beds). But this limited supply is subject in some instances to a 410% increase in rubbish tax.
Jordi Cerdó of the federation of holiday rentals (which isn't the same as Aptur) has lodged an appeal against the tax with the town hall. He says that for a property with six places the tax has gone up from 73 to 300 euros and believes that the tax should be on the property and not on the number of places it has.
Setting a tax according to the number of places is the same principle that Muro has adopted. In Muro the rate is the same for a hotel place. In Sant Joan, although Cerdó refers to the setting a rate like a hotel, there aren't hotels. In fact, according to the mayor, Francesc Mestre, the regulations go back to 2013 and the rubbish tax rate that was set for the old people's home. He adds that consideration hadn't been given to the possibility that this could affect holiday rentals and suggests that it is the Tax Agency which has come up with the figure. "We will study the appeal and seek a solution."
The mayor says that a further 100 rental places have been requested for next year, though these have of course as yet to be agreed. The Council of Majorca's zoning decisions should be known some time this month.