La Laguna Launches First Municipal Plan to Regulate Vacation Rentals Amid High Non-Compliance

La Laguna is leading the way in the Canary Islands by launching the first municipal plan to monitor and regulate vacation rentals. This initiative is a direct response to Law 6/2025, which focuses on the sustainable management of tourism. According to the City Council, the plan aims to address widespread non-compliance among vacation rental properties in the area.

An investigation by the Urban Planning Department, which compared local records with regional data, found that 92.7% of the 1,179 registered vacation homes are operating without the necessary local permits. Specifically, 1,093 properties have failed to file the required notification for classified activities. Currently, only 86 units have started the official process: 41 have been approved, 14 are waiting for inspection, and 31 are working to fix issues with their files.

This situation highlights the challenge of balancing the growth of tourist rentals with the need for local oversight. Mayor Luis Yeray Gutiérrez stressed the importance of providing legal clarity for the sector while calling on the regional government to provide the technical support needed to manage the high volume of inspections. Adolfo Cordobés, the head of Housing, added that the measure is essential to protect the local housing market from the rise of illegal rentals.

While vacation rentals currently make up only 1.57% of the municipality’s 75,000 homes—well below the 10% limit set by regional law—the City Council is taking a proactive approach. The local government plans to include stricter regulations in its future General Urban Development Plan (PGO), tailored to La Laguna’s unique heritage and social needs. By doing so, the council hopes to organize the current rental market and regain control over urban planning in the face of increasing tourism pressure.