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Madrid tightens control of tourist apartments and gives neighbours the power to veto them
The tourist rental market in Madrid is entering a new phase with a regulatory change that affects owners, managers, and neighbours alike. From now on, companies managing tourist apartments will assume legal responsibility for the activity, in an effort to strengthen oversight of a constantly growing sector.
The measure, which will be approved by the Comunidad de Madrid, also introduces a key element: residents’ associations will be able to ban tourist flats in their buildings if this is set out in their statutes and they have sufficient support at a meeting. This change gives more weight to harmonious living compared to intensive use of housing for tourism. The new regulation also excludes publicly protected housing from the holiday rental market and tightens the requirements that accommodations must meet. Stricter conditions are set regarding equipment, basic services, and minimum room size, with the aim of ensuring quality standards for guests.
At the municipal level, town councils will be able to limit the number of tourist flats per building or per area, adapting supply to the reality of each neighbourhood. This tool aims to prevent overcrowding in particularly pressured areas.
Despite these measures, the main challenge remains controlling illegal rentals. Although thousands of properties have been deregistered following inspections in recent years, a significant part of the market continues to operate outside the regulations.
The regulation of tourist rentals is thus becoming one of the major urban issues in Madrid. The balance between tourism, access to housing, and neighbourly coexistence will shape the city’s evolution in the coming years.