On Tuesday, the Balearic Parliament unanimously approved a motion for penalising the holding of illegal parties and “annoying activities” in homes that are marketed as tourist accommodation.
Josep Castells of Més per Menorca, who proposed the motion, argued that the current legal framework does not provide a response to the use of tourist rentals for an “annoying” activity. This is aggravated by the difficulty of pursuing it through administrative channels, leaving the general public who suffer its effects defenceless.
The motion involves extending the concept of an illegal party, incorporating into the law on activities those parties that are held in tourist rental properties between 11pm and 8am. The aim is to penalise owners of tourist accommodation who do not take measures to prevent their clients from holding disturbing parties. "Owners cannot wash their hands of this problem”.
This will now go forward as a bill that will establish penalties for minor offences of between 1,500 and 3,000 euros, and for serious offences of between 15,000 and 30,000 euros, with the additional punishment of the possible loss of the tourist licence for the owner of the property and the impossibility of recovering it for three years. All the political groups have supported it.