The Minister for Housing and the Urban Agenda, Isabel Rodríguez, chaired the meeting of the Sectoral Conference on Housing and the Urban Agenda, where she discussed the impact of tourist flats on affordable residential housing with representatives of the autonomous communities.
On this occasion, Isabel Rodríguez announced that, together with the Ministry of Industry and Tourism, they will advance compliance with the European regulation that collects data on tourist flats, which will allow the creation of a state platform with the autonomous communities to share data and regulations on these accommodations in order to combat fraud.

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Housing and Tourism will bring forward compliance with European regulation

The meeting, which was attended by the Secretary of State for Tourism, Rosario Sánchez Grau, was attended by the regional councillors and representatives of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FEMP), the Secretary of State for Housing and the Urban Agenda, David Lucas; the Secretary-General for the Urban Agenda, Housing and Architecture, Iñaqui Carnicero; and the Director General of the public business entity for Land (SEPES), Leire Iglesias.

Specifically, it is a matter of implementing the Regulation on the Collection and Exchange of Data on Short-term Accommodation Rental Services. “We now have a regulation in force within the European Union that will allow public administrations to have better data to be able to tackle this phenomenon and prosecute fraud”, he explained.

The representatives of the Autonomous Communities welcomed the State Register and, for the most part, called for the joint proposal of the Ministry of Housing and the Urban Agenda and the Ministry of Industry and Tourism to be implemented as soon as possible.

Significant increase in tourist flats
Various national and international reports indicate that in our country there is a very significant increase in the number of tourist flats, which is affecting the reduction of supply in the residential market and increasing its price. “To tackle this phenomenon, we need public and official data to respond to this situation and prosecute fraud,” said Isabel Rodríguez. The approach of MIVAU and Tourism is based on jurisprudence – Supreme Court and Court of Justice of the European Union – “and with this regulation we now have a new regulation in force since 20 May, which gives us the tools to deal with this situation”, explained the minister.

Speeding up the regulation
In this sense, Isabel Rodríguez, together with Tourism, has proposed to the autonomous communities “to bring forward compliance with the regulation so that the platform can be in force throughout 2025, ahead of EU forecasts”. The aim of the Ministry of Housing and the Ministry of Tourism is that “collaboratively we can implement all the necessary measures that involve prioritising the residential use of housing over any other”.

“We must always prioritise housing as a home and, therefore, when this feels threatened by the increase or abuse of other uses, all the public administrations that are competent must act to respond to this circumstance,” he added.

Collaboration with communities and town councils
The minister also stressed that she attaches “great importance to the work of the autonomous communities and town councils in tackling this issue”, and therefore proposed that “the Multilateral Sectorial Conference – in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Tourism – could tackle the pooling of regional, municipal and General State Administration regulations, as well as the implementation and development of this register”.

Quality tourism
“We advocate quality, sustainable and non-seasonal tourism. It is a very important sector in our country, but it has to be reconciled when it comes into conflict with the development of intimate and personal lives and with the right to housing. Tourism that reaches areas where it has not yet reached, but regulation is necessary when it affects access to housing”, the minister also stressed.