Victoria

Those with tourist accommodation of various kinds will have to register in the Registry of Tourism of Andalucia, from May 11. Many who run many different types of accommodation as apartments or rural dwellings are already aware that it is time to regularise the activity. The volume of applications for registration soared as of late April by an increase of 705% said the delegate of the Tourism Board in Malaga, Monsalud Galindo, who stated that from January until the end of April there had been registered 1,736 properties, compared with 246 that were formalised by this process in the same period of 2015.
Galindo also commented that “The decree of tourist accommodation has been approved to raise awareness of the need to standardise the activities of housing.”
These types of tourist accommodation will have to adhere to the following standards:
a) An occupational license and compliance with technical conditions and quality requirements for housing.
b) Having direct external ventilation or a patio and a means of darkening the windows either by blinds or curtains.
c) Sufficiently equipped and furnished for immediate use.
d) Fitted air conditioning units (with certain exemptions) in all bedrooms and lounge areas that provide cooling from May to September and heating from October to April.
e) A fully stocked medical kit.
f) Information about local amenities, i.e. shops, restaurants, medical services, public transport, etc.
g) A Complaints and Claims book and sign.
h) Cleaning the property between customers.
i) Bedding, towels and household items.
j) A contact number for enquiries about the property.
k) Information and instructions for electrical appliances.
l) Informing users of the property rules i.e. the use of facilities, pets or smoking restrictions.

This new decree requires from May 11 to register all properties in Andalucia, which offers a regular hosting service at a price set by the owner and markets it via tourism channels, such as travel agencies or platforms ‘on line’. According to the Tourist Board in Malaga, all those who advertise on these portals that connect the owner with the traveller must register as a tourist apartment. This rule does not affect the tourist rental homes located in rural areas, which are governed by a decree already established. Nor does it affect those who have three or more properties for these purposes within one kilometre of each other. In this case they are governed by the decree of Tourist Apartments, which has also been modified.
There is expected an impending flood of applications and although Galindo could not quantify the volume itself, since the approval of the decree there have been around 7,000 consultations, focusing on differences on home and tourist use and how to register. In this regard, he stressed that it can be done in person and electronically via the link https://ws072.juntadeandalucia.es/ofvirtual/auth/autnocertjs .
This first decree regulating homes that are rented to tourists are opening up as businesses whereby the traveller is seen to as more profitable than a tenant. Industry sources have stated that there are entire buildings in towns such as Estepona and Manilva will be solely dedicated to this.

And the rule requires registering the properties that are rented over the summer months for a fortnight or on a weekly basis. Failure to register these properties could result in large fines. The decree only leaves out the houses that are rented for more than two consecutive months by the same person.