Simon Hunter
A PLAN by the local council in Sevilla to limit the number of tourist apartments in the southern Andalusian city has backfired, with landlords and investors rushing to register hundreds of new holiday rentals before the cap comes into force.
According to figures cited by newspaper Diario de Sevilla, from March to May a total of 356 new tourist properties were registered, for a total of 1,961 new beds. During the same period, 20 tourist buildings were also registered, for a total of another 540 new beds.
The rush to register these vacation properties began on March 21, when Sevilla City Hall voted to approve limits on them ‘for compelling reasons of general interest’, given the negative effect they are having on the local population.
The council’s plan is yet to be fully approved, however, and is currently in the phase of public consultation.
The mere announcement of the crackdown appears to have backfired, with the number of tourist rental properties jumping from 8,905 in March of this year to 9,261 by May, according to municipal figures cited by the Diario de Sevilla.
In terms of the number of beds, the figure has risen from 43,590 to 45,541 for the same period.
In its latest annual report, the Bank of Spain warned that the high concentration of tourist accommodation in Sevilla was having a negative effect. The other cities on the central lender’s radar for the same problem were Barcelona, Madrid and Valencia.
In terms of coastal areas, the Bank of Spain has also warned about the issue in Malaga, Marbella, Palma de Mallorca and Elche.
In its April report, the bank stated that the percentage of tourist apartments from the total rental market in Sevilla’s historic quarter was at 14%, while in Marbella the number was as high as 60%.
