13,700 illegal holiday rental properties in the Canary Islands are ordered to be taken offline
The Spanish government has begun a major crackdown on illegal holiday let rentals across the country. The Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana (MIVAU) has informed major digital platforms that 13,726 properties in the islands must be removed because they are operating without valid tourist or temporary rental licences.
This makes the Canary Islands the third region in Spain with the highest number of fraudulent listings detected through the national Digital One-Stop Shop system, behind Andalucía and the Valencia.
Why these rental properties are being removed
Since July, all short-term rental properties in Spain must have a valid registration number. According to the ministry, the affected properties did apply for a code, but were denied because they didn’t meet legal requirements.
After cross-referencing data with the Colegio de Registradores, the government has now ordered platforms to take down these listings immediately.
Where the irregularities are concentrated
The crackdown reveals a clear pattern across the archipelago, with the largest illegal activity in the main tourist areas:
- San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria): 1,056 rejected registrations – the highest figure in the Canary Islands.
- Adeje (Tenerife): 1,019 denials.
- Arona (Tenerife): 942 denials.
- La Oliva (Fuerteventura): 942 denials, matching Arona.
- Las Palmas (Gran Canaria): 811 blocked listings.
These figures highlight how the surge in unregulated holiday rentals has been most intense in coastal tourist municipalities.
National picture and notable anomalies
Across Spain, 86,275 illegal listings have been identified. While the Canary Islands account for a large share, Andalucía tops the list with 21,872 removals, followed by the Comunitat Valenciana with 14,387.
Nationwide, 78% of applications were for tourist rentals and 22% for medium-term stays. Inspectors also flagged a major irregularity in Comunidad de Madrid, where 83% of applicants tried to register properties as “temporary rentals”, a category not meant for tourist use.
Why the government is acting now
The ministry argues that unregulated holiday lets distort the housing market by pushing up prices, accelerating gentrification, and displacing local families.
By removing thousands of illegal listings, the government hopes many of these homes will return to the long-term rental market, easing pressure in high-demand areas.
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