Restrictions on Tourist Rentals
The municipality of Palma has announced plans to stop issuing new permits for short-term tourist accommodation rentals. This decision will apply to all areas of the city and will cover all types of rental formats aimed at visitors. Currently, the capital of the Balearic Islands has 639 officially registered properties offering such services. Going forward, this number will remain unchanged, and no new applications will be considered.
Changes in Tourist Infrastructure
In addition to rental restrictions, the city administration plans to ban so-called party boats—vessels hosting entertainment events on the water. These measures will come into effect next year and will impact popular routes along the Paseo Maritimo promenade. Authorities also intend to stop the opening of new hostels, while existing ones will be repurposed for other types of accommodation.
Reasons and Consequences of the New Measures
City authorities stress that these steps aim to improve the quality of the tourist offering and crack down on illegal rentals. According to industry analysts, over the past two years Palma has managed to reduce the volume of unofficial rentals by nearly 18%. By comparison, in other major Spanish cities this figure does not exceed 4%. The municipality expects that the new restrictions will help maintain a balance between the interests of local residents and the tourism industry.
Planned Implementation Timeline
A corresponding decision is expected to be made at upcoming city council meetings. The new regulations will be applied retroactively for three months prior to their approval date, which will prevent the issuance of new licenses during this period. Authorities emphasize that all existing establishments will retain their rights, but any further expansion of the tourist rental market in Palma will be halted.
