Illegal holiday let apartment taped up in Gran Canaria as owners continued to operate without a VV licence
The Las Palmas Council has ordered the immediate sealing of a property operating as an unlicenced holiday rental in Guanarteme, Gran Canaria following confirmation that the property continued to operate as tourist accommodation despite a formal order to cease operations, issued several months ago.
The enforcement action, processed by the Directorate General of Building and Activities and to be carried out by the Local Police, is based on the total absence of the required VV licence. A valid authorisation is mandatory for any legal holiday let property.
Guanarteme has become one of the most stressed areas of Las Palmas due to its rapid transformation from a traditional, residential, seaside town into a hotspot for short-term holiday rentals attracting surfers and digital nomads. With soaring demand from the tourism sector, long-term residents are increasingly being priced out of the area.
The imbalance is stark. As of last month, the town had just 54 registered long-term rental properties, compared with more than 600 listed as holiday lets, meaning less than 10% are available to residents. Due to this, finding a long-term let in Guanarteme has become extremely difficult, with prices rising and dwindling supply.
Non-compliance and Closure
The case of the sealed property is particularly relevant because of its continued operation in defiance of orders to cease its activity. Tourism authorities had already instructed the owners to stop in July 2025, following a request from the City Council. In October, a two-day deadline was granted for voluntary closure, with a clear warning that forced shutdown would follow any non-compliance.
A Local Police inspection on 15th November 2025 confirmed that the property was still operating as tourist accommodation. Officers found a coded key box in place and gathered testimony from a cleaner who confirmed that new clients were due to arrive, demonstrating direct disobedience to municipal instructions.
The Directorate General has labelled the activity as “clandestine”, a classification that legally requires immediate cessation and sealing of the property. According to established case law, maintaining an illegal holiday rental undermines urban planning regulations, neighbourhood coexistence, and the right to housing.
The resolution orders the sealing of the property and warns that any breach of closure could be referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. The order, signed by the Director General, is final and cannot be appealed.
Local Backlash Intensifies
The move comes at a time of rising tension in Guanarteme. Residents have held demonstrations, public assemblies, and campaigns under slogans such as “A neighbourhood, not a business”, expressing mounting frustration at gentrification, the loss of local identity, and the decline of traditional commerce.
For many long-term residents, the closure of this illegal holiday rental represents more than an administrative measure. It is seen as a symbol in the broader struggle between the growth of tourist accommodation and the preservation of liveable, affordable neighbourhoods.
Guanarteme remains one of the most contested spaces in the city’s debate over tourism, housing, and the future of urban living.
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