What Spain's holiday rental tourism ban means for British travellers

One of Spain's most popular tourist destinations is introducing a new measure to tackle the consequences of excessive tourism.

Officials in Malaga on the busy Costa del Sol in the south of the country have introduced a ban on registering new holiday rentals that could last at least three years.

Although incorrectly called a "tourist ban" in some reports, the new measure does not prevent tourists from visiting Spain.

The move comes after a severe backlash across the whole of Spain and its islands against mass tourism, with British travellers chief among those targeted by widespread protests.

Earlier this month, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez warned that non-EU residents, including those from the UK, could pay a 100% tax when buying a property there.

About four million people from the UK visited Spain last summer but this year could be very different, as Spain backs up its vow to clamp down on overtourism.

Yahoo News UK examines the latest law and what impact it could have on British tourists.

What is the new measure?

The new legislation was introduced in the city of Malaga on the Costa del Sol, a hugely popular tourist destination for Britons.

On 14 January, a new law came into effect that bans the registration of new holiday rentals across 43 of the city's districts.

The ban will be in place for three years and targets anyone wishing to rent out a property to tourists. If successful, it is likely it will be extended beyond the three-year period.

According to the AFP news agency, the city (which has a population of less than 600,000) has around 11,500 registered holiday flats while short-term holiday rentals make up 65% of total tourist accommodation in the centre of the city.

The measure will target areas including the old town and Playa del Palo, with AFP reporting a city statement from November saying to plan was to try and encourage tourists flats to be set up "in neighbourhoods with less tourist pressure".

How will it affect British tourists?

Although wrongly dubbed a "tourist ban" by some, the new legislation does not stop visitors going to Spain and is instead aimed at those trying to rent out properties to tourists.

This means that British tourists can still book Airbnbs, hotels and other accommodation across Malaga, where there are about 13,000 holiday rentals.

Why has the ban on new holiday rentals been introduced?

Malaga has imposed the law to stop more highly priced lets appearing in its tourist hotspots.

In some areas of the city, 8% of family homes are taken up by holiday rentals, and officials are determined to act to prevent pricing local people out of the housing market.

It isn't the only measure introduced in Malaga to clamp down on holiday lets – a separate ruling last summer means tourists flats registered since February 2022 that do not have independent access and separate resources from the residential part of a building will have their licences revoked.

Is Malaga the only place in Spain to ban holiday lets?

No. Alicante, which is equally popular with Britons, introduced its own ban on new holiday lettings at the beginning of January, which is set to last for two years.

Madrid announced a similar ban last April, which is in effect until the end of the first quarter of this year.

In Barcelona, the licences of some 10,000 short-term rental apartments will be scrapped, as it seeks to ban apartment rentals to tourists by 2028, having not granted any new licences since 2014.

What about tourist taxes?

Some destinations in Spain have increased their tourist taxes – in Barcelona, visitors must pay €4 (£3.3) per night up to seven nights, a sharp rise from €2.75 per night this time last year.

From this month, visitors to the coastal town of Mogan in the Canary Islands must pay a tourist tax of 15 cents per day - it will fund public services impacted by tourism and projects that sustain the area's natural beauty.

What else do British tourists need to know?

British tourists must also deal with more paperwork when visiting Spain, under measures introduced by the country's interior ministry last year.

When staying in a hotel or hiring a car, tourists must give more detailed personal information, including bank card details, family relationships and their home address.

The measure was introduced to help Spanish police track suspected criminals operating in the country.

What about the 100% tax on buying properties?

Earlier this month, Spain's prime minister Pedro Sanchez proposed a 100% tax on the purchase of properties in tourist hotspots.

The tax would be worth up to 100% of the value of properties being bought by non-EU citizens, including those from the UK, who are not legally Spanish citizens.

Sanchez said non-EU residents bought 27,000 properties in Spain in 2023 "to make money from them".

There is no timeline for the proposal and it is unclear if Sanchez's minority government would be able to get it through Spain's parliament.