BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Spain's Balearic Islands will from Tuesday penalize landlords for illegally renting apartments to tourists with fines of up to 40,000 euros ($47,228) amid a backlash against the effects of mass tourism across the country. <\/p>\n
The move is an escalation in efforts to crack down on home-sharing sites such as Airbnb by city councils or local authorities in Spain, as concern mounts over the side-effects of their increasing popularity. <\/p>\n
Airbnb, much like ride-hailing firm Uber, is facing a crackdown from legislators worldwide triggered in part by lobbying from the hotel industry which sees the rental service as unfair competition. <\/p>\n
In the Balearic Islands, which drew more foreign visitors than any other region in Spain this June, rental costs have jumped and there are fears of a housing shortage for residents. <\/p>\n
Rental prices in Palma de Mallorca, the Mediterranean archipelago's biggest city, have risen 40 percent in the last five years, according to property platform Mitula. <\/p>\n
The island of Ibiza has the biggest density of Airbnb rentals, with a tourist apartment for every 30 residents, data from analytics firm Airdna showed. <\/p>\n
Renting apartments without a licence was banned in the region in 2012 under a previous administration but enforcement was largely nonexistent, according to the Balearic government. <\/p>\n
\"We want balanced and sustainable tourism so that it can keep being our lead economic activity for many years to come,\" the region's tourism chief Biel Barcelo told Reuters. <\/p>\n
The new legislation establishes fines of between 20,000 and 40,000 euros for those offering short rentals without a license to tourists. <\/p>\n
Local residents will be able to report suspected illegal flats though a website, and online platforms such as Airbnb and Homeaway could also face fines of up to 400,000 euros if they are found to advertise rentals without a license number. <\/p>\n
The Balearics' four islands will each have a year to decide if and where they will allow licensed tourist rentals to continue. <\/p>\n
Airbnb said the new rules were complex and confusing as they did not distinguish between local families sharing their homes and professional operators running a business. It said it was ready to collaborate with the local authorities on establishing clearer regulation. <\/p>\n
\"By working together, we can help build sustainable tourism models that spread benefits to many - not keep them in the hands of a few,\" the firm said in an emailed statement. <\/p>\n
Barcelona, in the northeastern Spanish region of Catalonia and another tourism magnet, has also introduced controls on tourist apartments and sought to fine Airbnb and Homeaway for advertising ones that are unlicensed. <\/p>\n
Additional reporting by Madrid TV and Emily Lupton; Editing by Sarah White and Matthew Mpoke Bigg <\/p>\n
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Spain's Balearic Islands to fine illegal tourist rentals - Reuters<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Spain's Balearic Islands will from Tuesday penalize landlords for illegally renting apartments to tourists with fines of up to 40,000 euros ($47,228) amid a backlash against the effects of mass tourism across the country. The move is an escalation in efforts to crack down on home-sharing sites such as Airbnb by city councils or local authorities in Spain, as concern mounts over the side-effects of their increasing popularity. Continue reading