The Minister of Tourism and Andalusia Exterior, Arturo Bernal, updated the balance regarding Tourist Use Housing (VUT) on Wednesday. According to him, nearly 10,600 VUT have been canceled since February 2024 as part of a strategy to ensure compliance and quality within the community’s tourist accommodations. The Junta has intensified its inspection policies through specific measures that include further cancellations, increased control, and tighter institutional collaboration. Notably, a specialized unit from the National Police will assist inspectors in identifying illegal activities.
Bernal emphasized, > “Cancellations ensure that those who do not comply are not allowed to operate. The aim is clear: to provide services on par with hotels, hostels, or tourist apartments. Tourists in Andalusia deserve safe, legal accommodations that adhere to regulations.”
Furthermore, collaborations have been established with eight municipalities (Seville, Málaga, Granada, Cádiz, Jerez de la Frontera, Almería, Alhaurín el Grande, and El Puerto de Santa María), and agreements with an additional 23 municipalities are currently in progress. These partnerships facilitate data sharing and detail coordination to enhance the effectiveness of measures at both local and regional levels.
A significant update includes improvements to the IT system of the Andalusia Tourism Registry, which now provides alerts when registering VUTs in areas with urban limitations. In places like Seville and Málaga, the system will issue automatic warnings about legal repercussions and prompt cancellation processes, reducing bureaucracy and enhancing legal security.
During this announcement, Bernal also clarified that VUTs are not part of the broader housing problem in Spain, asserting that: > “Neither tourism nor VUTs are the issue. The core problem lies in inadequate national legislation that fails to protect property owners and undermines the usual rental market.”
Regarding tourism regulations, Bernal reaffirmed that only the Junta of Andalusia has the right to cancel VUTs, noting, > “They are not illegal housing units; they will continue their operations but may face some restrictions in advertising on various platforms. While the government of Juanma Moreno has enacted over 10,500 cancellations, the central government remains at zero.” He concluded by stating that the only competent body to revoke licenses for VUTs is the Junta of Andalusia.
