Owners of tourist apartments protest against the fines for residential use

400 people demonstrated yesterday (Saturday) against the decision of the Canary Islands Government to impose fines on the owners of apartments on complexes classed as ‘turismo’, who use them as their first or second residence, or for holiday homes or long term rentals, even though it is clear that properties on complexes of this type are for holiday lets and not residential use.

After the protest in Playa del Inglés in Gran Canaria, the owners and members of the ‘Plataforma de Afectados por la Ley Turística’, which translates as the Platform for People Affected by the Tourism Law, held a meeting to analyze the consequences of the sanctions, initiated in this legislature.

So far, as reported by the Canarian Weekly on 2nd April, there have been six fines ranging from 2,200 to 9,000 euros against apartment owners in tourist complexes who do not want to rent them for holidaymakers, but want to use them as their home or second home instead.

However, these are the first six sanctions of a legal conflict derived from the 2013 Tourism Law, that puts in check those who cannot prove that they have used their apartment as their first home or second residence since before 2017.

The vice president of the Platform and one of those fined, Maribe Doreste, said what is happening is a "constitutional violation and the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court regarding the right to property and free residence", and accused the business community behind the tourist exploitation of this type of apartment of "pressurising politicians" not to change the law and solve the situation in which they are immersed.

For these reasons, the Platform has presented a Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) to propose a new law that contemplates this reality and better adapts to the situation they are going through.

"The current regulation encourages conflict in the communities of owners because it favours the entry into the complexes of opportunistic companies that have control of our properties.”

"We are showing strength and unity, and will go to Strasbourg if necessary to defend the right to what is ours," Doreste said, adding “The tourism sector is asking for more beds when the most they fill is 80%, why do they want our properties if they don't reach 100%?”

However, the business sector has asked that the 2013 law be complied with, saying: "What we defend is that people who have come since 2017 comply with the law, especially those who have arrived recently, who think they can do whatever they want. The residential use of apartments on tourist complexes has meant the loss of 68,000 beds for tourists throughout the archipelago."