Andalucía removes 13,000 unregulated holiday rentals as crackdown intensifies

The regional government of Andalucía (the Junta) has removed 13,037 tourist rentals from its official register thanks to a "comprehensive strategy of control, regulation and management". Of these, 4,731 dwellings are located in Malaga province.

According to regional minister of tourism Arturo Bernal, this proves that the Junta's policy "guarantees coexistence between residents and visitors, while at the same time establishing mechanisms to combat illegal activity".

Thanks to this new framework, local councils can suspend licences and declarations of responsibility for tourist accommodation for up to three years. The review of cancellations by province is as follows: Malaga, with 4,731 cancellations (1,385 in the city), Granada, 2,138 (1,198 in the city), Cadiz, 1,836 (484 in the city), Seville, 1,468 (1,307 in the city), Almeria, 991 (186 in the city), Cordoba, 896 (755 in the city), Huelva, 587 (57 in the city), Jaén, 390 (99 in the city).

This progress is underpinned by the approval of decree 31/2024, which establishes that local councils may set proportionate limits on the number of tourist homes per building, area or time period, in line with EU rulings. This is supported by emergency decree law 1/2025 on housing, promoted in coordination with the regional department for public work, spatial planning and housing, strengthening councils' ability to bring this activity into line with their urban planning models and to protect the urban environment.

In addition, the Andalusian tourism register now automatically blocks the registration of dwellings in restricted areas or areas subject to licence suspension in Seville, Malaga, Cadiz and Puerto Santa Maria.

In parallel, the regional ministry of tourism maintains collaboration agreements with the town halls of Alhaurín el Grande, Almeria, Cadiz, Cordoba, El Puerto de Santa María, Jerez de la Frontera, Granada, Malaga and Seville, with the aim of improving the detection of irregular accommodation and guaranteeing compliance with town planning and tourism regulations.

"Andalucía shows that it is possible to combine tourism leadership, quality of life and urban planning, with serious policies, objective data and a clear roadmap," Bernal says.