A proposal for a new tourist tax in Málaga has sparked considerable debate among holiday rental professionals.
The tax proposed by the Mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre According to the Spanish government, this is aimed at overnight stays in tourist accommodation.
The Vice President of the Andalusian Association of Holiday Rental Professionals, AVVA PRO, Juan Cubohas spoken out strongly against the idea, calling it “totally unfair.”
“We are being targeted again” Cube he said, criticising the measure for blaming the holiday rental sector for what he described as a failure of urban planning by government authorities. He argued that the lack of affordable housing in Malaga was not due to the small percentage of homes used for short-term rentals, but rather to wider problems such as excessive bureaucracy hampering construction and inadequate government efforts to promote social housing.
Cube stressed that only 1.76% of Malaga’s housing stock is used for rental to tourists, too small a figure to have a significant impact on the availability of social housing. “It is hardly credible to tell people that the 1.76% of owners who decide to legally convert their home to another type of rental are responsible for the lack of social housing in Malaga,” he noted. He pointed out that many of these rentals are not only given to tourists, but also to workers on short-term assignments in the city.
Instead, Cube suggested alternative measures, such as imposing a tax on empty homes rather than on properties that actively contribute to the local economy. He expressed concern that this tax, if introduced, would ultimately be passed on to travellers, making Malaga a less attractive destination and placing an unfair burden on the holiday rental sector.
Despite strong opposition Cube reiterated that AVVA PRO remains open to dialogue with the city council. “We are always available to the mayor and his team to talk about absolutely anything,” he said, emphasizing the association’s willingness to work cooperatively to find more effective solutions to the city’s housing problems.
The debate comes as Malaga becomes increasingly popular, not only with tourists but also with professionals attracted by the growing opportunities and favourable living conditions. According to a recent report by Idealista, Malaga is one of the most popular coastal destinations for holiday homes. However, as the city attracts more and more residents and visitors, the need for thoughtful planning of housing is becoming increasingly important. “We need to plan for the housing that will be missing precisely because we have become the centre of attention,” Cube pointed out this.
AVVA PRO hopes to avoid a “criminalization” of the holiday rental sector. “What we really want is cooperation and of course that we are not criminalized,” Cube he concluded, calling for solutions that take into account the complexity of the housing market in Malaga rather than unfairly blaming one sector.
