Glenn Wickman
OWNERS of tourist lets in the Valencia region will have one year to register their properties and will not be allowed to rent out individual bedrooms under a new law currently being passed by the Generalitat.
The government decree is expected to be approved tomorrow (Friday January 7) and is aimed at regulating the tourism accommodation market and weeding out illegal practices.
By requesting the catastral reference number, the autonomous executive hopes to eliminate from the list those houses that are no longer officially classed as tourist lets and more accurately locate the flats with unspecified floor and door numbers.
Furthermore, the legislation entitles the Generalitat to check up on these houses every five years to ensure the owners wish to continue featuring the properties on the regional database.
But probably the most significant part of the new law, which is expected to equally raise hackles and be welcomed by private owners, refers to the renting out of individual rooms on internet platforms such as Airbnb.
“Tourist accommodation is to be let out as a whole; individual rooms cannot be rented out,” states the document to be debated and voted in the regional parliament.
In order to enforce this restriction, more information will be requested before authorising adverts on digital platforms.
All communication between the property management and the client must be done electronically, such as through email or Whatsapp, to boost the safety of the process.
Other points include the standardisation of prices and the requirement for owners to take out liability insurance.
