Spain, Italy, France, Greece and Portugal hit tourists with new rules

By Lauran O'Toole, Senior Reporter

Some popular holiday destinations are cracking down on illegal holiday lets (Image: Getty)

Some of the UK’s favourite holiday destinations are taking a hard stance on illegal tourist apartments in a bid to curb overtourism. Spain has joined Italy, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and Greece in cracking down on unlicensed properties.

Problems with these illegal holiday lets are not a recent problem, with overtourism protests erupting across Spain last summer. These apartments are blamed by locals for the housing crisis, with rental prices reaching unprecedented levels and reduced housing for locals. In Majorca, many locals are already in despair over the state of the housing market, with prices shooting up by another 15% in the last year alone.

Illegal tourist apartments is being blamed for causing a housing crisis (Image: Getty)

To try and combat the problem, authorities in Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Portugal, and Greece are stepping up inspections, introducing new licensing systems, and demanding greater cooperation from booking platforms.

Despite warnings of hefty fines already being in place earlier this year a Spanish government report claimed there are 7,000 holiday apartments that are still being rented out illegally in the Balearic Islands.

It is hoped that the hardline crackdown will create a fairer market for legal operators and protect communities. Authorities in these holiday hotspots say their message is clear: tourists are welcome but only when it does legally and there is respect between locals and visitors. 

The housing shortage is now so dire in Spain that it has been described as a "social emergency" by the Spanish government, who estimate that between 600,000 and a million new homes must be built in the next four years to meet demand.

The cost-of-living crisis is also taking its toll, with a third of Spaniards admitting they can't afford a week-long holiday, according to the National Statistics Institute.

Barcelona is leading the way with tiugh regulations on cracking down on holiday lets as the city is currently phasing out tourist apartments, aiming to eliminate all licensed short-term rentals by 2028.

Mayor Jaume Collboni has announced that the City Council will not renew any licences for tourist-use apartments once they expire in November 2028.