El Médano Residents Launch Campaign Against Holiday Rental Overload

Residents of El Médano, a town in southern Tenerife, voiced their concerns on Televisión Canaria this Monday about the impact of holiday rentals. They explained that these rentals are making it harder to find homes for local residents and are stretching public services thin.

Speaking on the program 'Ponte al Día,' local resident Vicky said the situation has "reached the limit," despite recent changes to the rules. She explained that these changes are "not enough and aren't even being followed." She added that authorities have admitted they "don't have the staff or resources to enforce them."

Vicky described El Médano as "a very small town" with about 10,000 permanent residents. However, she noted that around 8,500 people can be staying in holiday homes – about 2,000 properties – at any given time. This influx, she said, is too much for the town to handle. "This is already chaos," she stated. "The town can only handle so much."

Vicky also highlighted how the situation affects residents' daily lives. "We feel cornered," she said, "and we see our identity as a town and as Canarians is in danger." She added that many are worried about new regulations that, in her view, "won't solve this problem."

Regarding the control of these properties, Vicky mentioned that while some holiday rentals are legal, "very few display the required sign." She explained that residents often see "a constant movement of suitcases, people coming and going at all hours" in their buildings. To her, this suggests many places are operating without proper registration. She also pointed out that these identifying signs were issued years ago, but there has been "no follow-up, updates, or control" since then.

Another resident, Gonzalo, explained that the Barquera Neighborhood Platform, a local group, has started an information campaign. They've put up posters with QR codes. One code lets people check the rules to see if holiday rentals are legal, while the other leads directly to channels for reporting issues.

Gonzalo said the goal is to report "not just those that don't meet the requirements, but also the illegal ones." He claimed that unregistered holiday apartments in El Médano are "three times more numerous than the registered ones."

Residents note that there are about 1,000 officially registered holiday accommodations in the area, including various types like houses with pools, family apartments, and pet-friendly options. The platform believes this large number puts continuous pressure on both the local housing market and public services.

The information campaign, which was previously covered by Diario de Avisos, is still active, supporting residents' efforts to get information and report problems.