On Monday, the Local Government Board of Ibiza Town Council approved proposals to impose two disciplinary proceedings for the illegal tourist use of properties, totalling €740,239.51, corresponding to the value of the buildings affected (€453,416.77 in one case and €286,822.74 in another), ‘to which the penalty criteria set out in current urban planning regulations apply, as a change of use from residential to tourist has been proven without the necessary authorisation, an offence classified as serious in Law 12/2017 of 29 December on Urban Planning in the Balearic Islands,’ the Council explained.
During one of the inspections carried out by the Local Police in 2024, officers verified that the first of the penalised properties was being used for tourist purposes in contravention of urban planning regulations. In accordance with Article 167.4 of Law 12/2017, which establishes penalties of 50% to 100% of the value of the building when the change of use is not permitted.
The second case concerns another property where unauthorised tourist use was also verified, and the corresponding penalty for the change of use has therefore been imposed. In this case, the penalty has also been applied in accordance with Articles 163 and 167 of Law 12/2017 and the Regulations on the penalty procedure approved by Decree 1/2024, which regulate the criteria for grading and liability in urban planning offences.
The mayor of Ibiza Town, Rafa Triguero, has stressed the importance of taking a firm stance against these practices. ‘Flats without a tourist licence cannot be rented to people who come to Ibiza on holiday because this constitutes unfair competition for the hotel sector and the legal tourist accommodation sector. We will continue to put pressure on those who break the rules,’ concluded Triguero.
Last month, the Council of Mallorca's tourism department announced that it has imposed fines totalling €300,000 on a building in the Llevant district of Palma where several properties were operating as illegal holiday rentals. Tourism inspectors have concluded the relevant sanctioning procedures after what the department describes as "extensive work". A year ago, the department imposed another fine on a different building in the Llevant district. In that case, the amount was much higher: almost one million euros, divided into twelve fines of €80,000 each for the illegally marketed properties, all belonging to the same owner.