Angelica Such, the Valencian Region’s Minister of Tourism, has presented draft regulations that will affect holiday rentals in the Valencian Community, home to the Costa Azahar and the Costa Blanca.
The plan is to get all home owners in the region who rent out their properties to tourists on a short-term basis, and who advertise their properties on the internet, to register with the tourist authorities. This will enable better control of holiday lettings by the department of tourism, and improve the quality of service, it is claimed.
Justifying the new regulations, Angelica Such says it is “fundamental to establish strict regulations to provide our tourists with holiday accommodation that is as regulated as possible.”
The draft regulations, which still have to be passed into law by the regional parliament, will also introduce a new category of ‘aparthotels’, offering 24-hour reception services.
The result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Tourism and the tourist sector, the regulations “address the worries and discontent in the tourism business with respect to the illegality of this type of accommodation,” says Such. The new regulations are probably the result of pressure from the powerful hotel lobby to limit the competition from private holiday lettings.
The new regulations may also make it easier for the government to clamp down on tax evasion, as many people who rent out their properties to tourists do not declare the rental income. If their activity is registered with the authorities, they may feel more pressure to do so.
medhead says:
It is a good move, but i don’t see the incentive for home owners to do this if it will only highlight them as receiving an income and therefore be taxed on that income.