Tourism Authority Coordinates Implementation of New Vacation Rental Law in Fuerteventura

The Canary Islands’ Ministry of Tourism and Employment held a technical‑political meeting in Fuerteventura with the island’s six municipalities to discuss the application of Law 6/2025 on the Sustainable Regulation of Tourist Housing Use.
The gathering, requested by the Puerto del Rosario City Council, is part of the roadmap designed by the Directorate General for Planning, Training and Tourist Promotion to support municipalities in regulating vacation homes.

Tools According to Each Municipality’s Model

During the session, the Director General for Planning, Training and Tourist Promotion, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, explained that urban planning authority rests with the municipalities, so each council decides where and how vacation homes are located within its territory.

“Urban planning is a municipal competence; therefore, each local authority determines the placement and density of vacation rentals in its jurisdiction,” Rodríguez said.

He added that the Ministry has devised a flexible strategy that adapts to the model each council wishes to adopt. Municipalities that choose to cap vacation homes at a maximum of 10 % of the total housing stock may use simplified tools such as provisional municipal ordinances.

Conversely, those that intend to exceed that threshold must resort to more complex planning instruments and conduct capacity‑load studies that assess social, territorial and economic impacts.

The Ministry also emphasized that it is not mandatory to regulate the entire municipality at once. The recommendation is to start with priority or less complex zones and gradually expand to the rest of the territory.

Island‑wide Coordination

Puerto del Rosario Mayor David de Vera highlighted the importance of harmonising criteria across the island to apply the regulation uniformly and effectively. He also praised the Ministry’s willingness to provide technical assistance to the municipalities throughout the process.

“Coordinated criteria are essential for a homogeneous and efficient implementation of the new law,” de Vera stated.

The series of meetings has already taken place in Tenerife and Gran Canaria and aims to reach the 88 municipalities of the archipelago, ensuring an orderly rollout of the legislation.

Control and Inspection

Another key topic was the strengthening of verification, control and inspection of vacation rentals. These responsibilities lie with the municipalities, which act as the authorities for classified activities, to guarantee the quality of the accommodation offer and prevent imbalances that could jeopardise the right to decent and affordable housing.

The Ministry stresses that the ultimate goal is to reconcile tourism development with social and territorial sustainability, ensuring that the growth of vacation rentals does not undermine housing access in the Canary Islands—particularly in islands like Fuerteventura, where residential and tourist pressure is steadily increasing.