Candelaria Implements New Oversight Protocol to Crack Down on Illegal Vacation Rentals
The Candelaria City Council has launched a new monitoring protocol to audit its 650 registered vacation rentals and eliminate illegal tourist accommodations in compliance with regional sustainable housing laws.
The Candelaria City Council has approved a new monitoring protocol for vacation rentals, marking a significant shift in how the municipality manages tourist accommodation. Announced following the May 28 municipal session, this measure aligns with Law 6/2025 on the Sustainable Regulation of Tourist Housing, aiming to update the local census and shut down properties operating illegally.
The strategy centers on creating a comprehensive municipal database by cross-referencing regional tourism records with local urban planning and activity files. This will allow the council to individually audit the approximately 650 properties currently registered. Housing Councilor Reinaldo Triviño explained that this gives the council new technical oversight, offering owners a five-year transition period to regularize their status, provided their properties meet all habitability and land-use requirements.
A multidisciplinary commission—comprising political, legal, and technical experts, as well as local police—will meet weekly to review each case. A key point of the new plan is that the age of a building does not excuse it from current rules; even older properties must have a first-occupancy license or certificate of habitability to be considered for tourist use.
The process includes clear steps for handling non-compliant properties. Those not found in official registries will be classified as clandestine, while those with documentation errors will be given a chance to rectify them. Properties already facing complaints or disciplinary action must meet all regulations immediately to be considered for validation.
This initiative fulfills a legal mandate requiring municipalities to implement these controls within eight months, while also aiming to bring greater legal certainty to the local tourism sector. Once the evaluation process is complete—with each validation valid for four years—the City Council will submit a detailed report to the Tenerife Island Council and the regional government. This roadmap reflects a broader trend across the Canary Islands to prioritize organized land-use planning over the unchecked growth of tourist rentals.