A proposal for a new tourist tax in Malaga has sparked significant debate among holiday rental professionals.
The tax, suggested by Malaga’s mayor Francisco de la Torre to Spain’s national government, targets overnight stays in tourist homes.
The vice-president of the Andalusian association of holiday rental professionals, AVVA PRO, Juan Cubo, has voiced strong opposition to the idea, calling it “totally unfair.”
“We are once again being targeted,” Cubo said, criticizing the measure for blaming the holiday rental sector for what he describes as a failure of proper urban planning by governing bodies. He argued that the lack of affordable housing in Malaga isn’t due to the small percentage of homes used for short-term rentals, but rather due to broader issues such as excessive bureaucracy that hampers construction and inadequate government efforts to promote social housing.
Cubo emphasized that only 1.76% of Malaga’s housing stock is used for tourist rentals, a figure too small to significantly impact the availability of social housing. “It is hardly credible to make people think that the 1.76% of owners who decide to lawfully allocate their home to a different type of rental are responsible for the lack of social housing in Malaga,” he remarked. He pointed out that many of these rentals serve not just tourists but also workers on short-term assignments in the city.
Instead, Cubo suggested alternative measures, such as imposing taxes on empty flats rather than on properties actively contributing to the local economy. He expressed concern that this tax, if implemented, would ultimately be passed on to travelers, making Malaga a less attractive destination and unfairly burdening the holiday rental sector.
Despite the strong opposition, Cubo affirmed that AVVA PRO remains open to dialogue with the city council. “We are totally at the disposal of the mayor and his team at all times to talk about absolutely everything,” he said, highlighting the association’s willingness to work cooperatively to find more effective solutions to the city’s housing challenges.
The debate comes as Malaga continues to grow in popularity, not just for tourists but also for professionals drawn to its burgeoning opportunities and favorable living conditions. According to a recent report from Idealista, Malaga is among the popular coastal destinations for holiday homes. However, as the city draws more residents and visitors, the need for thoughtful planning in housing becomes ever more critical. “We need to plan for housing, which is going to be lacking, precisely because we have become the centre of attention,” Cubo pointed out.
AVVA PRO hopes to avoid what it sees as a “criminalization” of the holiday rental sector. “What we really want is cooperation and, of course, that we are not criminalised,” Cubo concluded, urging for solutions that recognize the complexities of Malaga’s housing market rather than placing undue blame on one sector.
