Murcia Crackdown on Illegal Rental Properties

The regional government of Murcia in Spain is set to crackdown on illegal rental properties this year.

The crackdown in Murcia comes as concern continues to grow in Spain about the rising number of properties which are rented out for holiday or short-term rents without the necessary authorisation.

The Murcia government has announced that the number of inspections will rise this year, with the aim of making up to 2,700 more properties become official.

In addition to the usual apartments in coastal areas, the crackdown will also see rural properties, campsites, and even travel agencies who are offering services without the official authorisation targeted.

The regional government of Murcia have insisted that the aim is to increase the quality of tourist accommodation available in the area, however fines of between 1,000 and 10,000 euros will be imposed on offenders found to be breaking the rules.

Negotiations are also being held with online rental portals to ensure that all properties advertised on the sites are properly registered as tourist accommodation.

Discussions are currently taking place with Airbnb, Spain-Holiday, Homeaway, Tripadvisor, Rentalia, Windu, Niumba, and Logitravel, to ensure that all properties will meet the necessary rental criteria.

Minister for Tourism in the Murcia government, Miriam Guardiola, confirmed that the majority of illegal rental activity in the area is now by individuals rather than companies, and therefore the crackdown will include all the rental websites and also advertising leaflets being checked.

Overseas property investors renting their properties out in the Murcia region should ensure that they are registered, and all the correct procedures are taking place.

The crackdown is likely to be repeated in other regions of Spain, particularly coastal areas. So overseas property investors operating in other areas would also be wise to check rental regulations in the region where their properties are situated.