Over 30% of Holiday Lets in the Canary Islands are operating without a licence
More than a third of holiday rental properties advertised in the Canary Islands have been operating without the required licence, according to new data highlighting the scale of irregular tourist accommodation across the region.
Figures show that of the more than 49,000 holiday lets listed on platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com, over 15,500 were not officially registered, representing more than 30% of the total.
Tourist Hotspots Lead the Problem
The issue is most pronounced in popular tourist areas. La Oliva in Fuerteventura tops the list, with 57.6% of its advertised holiday rentals lacking proper registration.
Other key municipalities with high numbers of unlicensed properties include:
- San Bartolomé de Tirajana (Gran Canaria): over 1,200 unregistered rentals
- Adeje (Tenerife): more than 1,100
- Pájara (Fuerteventura): over half of listings operating without licences
In some areas, such as El Cotillo in La Oliva, holiday rentals have even outnumbered residential properties.
Widespread Across All Islands
The problem extends across the entire archipelago. Nearly every municipality shows a gap between advertised and officially registered properties.
On the smaller “green islands”, the percentages are also significant:
- Fuencaliente (La Palma): 54.8% unregistered
- El Pinar (El Hierro): 52.4%
- Alajeró (La Gomera): 42.3%
Even the capitals are affected. Around 20% of listings in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria lack a licence, while the figure rises to 32% in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
New Rules Starting to Have an Impact
Authorities introduced stricter regulations in July 2025, making it mandatory for all tourist and short-term rental properties to be registered in a national database.
The move forms part of wider efforts to improve oversight and tackle fraud, requiring platforms to verify listings and share data with authorities.
Early signs suggest the measures may be working. Across Spain, the number of holiday rentals fell by 12.4% in 2025 compared to the previous year.
In the Canary Islands, the total dropped to 42,896 properties by February 2026, a 4% decrease and the lowest level recorded in the past two years.
€64 million Fine for Airbnb
The crackdown has also hit major platforms. Airbnb was fined €64 million by Spain’s Ministry of Consumer Affairs in December 2025 for breaches including listing unlicensed properties, using false registration numbers, and misleading users.
Alongside national measures, the Canary Islands government has also introduced new legislation aimed at controlling the growth of holiday rentals, including stricter limits and a freeze on new licences for up to five years.
Officials hope these steps will help restore balance to the housing market while maintaining a sustainable tourism model across the islands.
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