Six months after the entry into force of the Canary Islands' vacation rental law, official data and the archipelago's tourist accommodation registry confirm that the regulation has managed to halt the increase in these types of properties. However, this containment has not alleviated the intense pressure of the housing crisis affecting a significant portion of the population.

"Not enough time has passed to feel the effect of the regulation, but the housing emergency and saturation persist," notes Anne Striewe, a member of the Fundación Canarina. A similar opinion is shared by Lidia Cruz, president of the neighborhood association Guanarteme se Mueve in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, who states: "I perceive the same. I don't notice any improvement anywhere."

Statistics from the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics (ISTAC) show a decrease of just over 1,100 vacation homes, dropping from 74,500 to 73,400 in the Canary Islands General Tourism Registry. Nevertheless, the "available" tourist flats for booking have increased from 42,367 in April to 47,117 in December.

This reduction was predictable, as the new law requires municipalities to approve ordinances to regulate tourist housing. To date, only Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Pájara, and Granadilla de Abona have met this requirement, having agreed on their plans before the law came into effect. No other council has followed suit.

Sources from the Ministry of Tourism and Employment, led by Jessica Bueno (PP), have welcomed the initial consequences of the law, calling the "desired containment effect" a success, as tourist flats "are no longer growing" in 85 out of 88 Canary Islands municipalities. The Ministry assures it is "accompanying" the local councils in developing their ordinances.

The Canary Islands Federation of Municipalities (FECAM) is in negotiations with the regional government and parliamentary groups to introduce amendments that expedite urban planning licenses, seeking to "clarify and standardize matters concerning classified activities," a key point of disagreement between local entities and the regional executive.

One of the objectives of the regulation is to "contribute to guaranteeing the right to decent, adequate, and affordable housing," a goal that, according to Aceysele Chacón, spokesperson for Drago Canarias in Fuerteventura, still seems distant.

"I haven't noticed any real improvement in rental prices or the availability of housing for living," states Chacón, who points to cases of people leaving the island due to rising rents or eviction.

The real estate portal Idealista estimates a 54% increase in rent since 2019, while Alquiler Seguro puts it at 45%. Older data from the Ministry of Housing indicate an increase of around 30%.

Chacón believes that the stagnation of tourist flats "does not compare even remotely" to the "uncontrolled increase" that occurred previously and criticizes the lack of "brave action" by recent governments to curb the situation.

Geographer Agustín Cocola, from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, urges caution regarding the decrease in vacation rentals, which is also observed on the mainland. "Rather than a clear drop, what we are seeing in many cases is a certain stabilization after years of strong growth, and that is quite normal, expected. In any case, this does not necessarily imply a significant reduction in pressure on the housing market," he reasons.

Cocola concludes that "tourist rentals have already structurally transformed many local markets" and that, even if growth slows, the accumulated volume remains high. "I would speak more of an adjustment phase than a trend change with clear effects on housing access."