The recent ruling by the Supreme Court, which made the unified registry for tourist rentals mandatory for vacation home owners from July 1st, has been met with relief and satisfaction by Canary Islands authorities. The Government of the Canary Islands, which had filed a similar appeal to Valencia's, has now seen its position upheld by the High Court, paving the way for financial claims from thousands of affected property owners.
The Association of Vacation Homes of the Canary Islands (Ascav) has celebrated the verdict, stating that it allows owners to claim both the fees paid to registrars for registering in the now-annulled registry, and compensation for damages and lost profits incurred due to being unable to market their properties on platforms like Airbnb. Ascav's president, Doris Borrego, indicated that the ruling 'corrects the disoriented course set by the Spanish Government'.
The Canary Islands Government, like Valencia, argued that the unified state registry encroached upon regional competencies, as regional tourist registries already existed and autonomous communities had the power to grant licenses, thus creating legal uncertainty. The Canary Islands now await the Supreme Court's resolution on its own appeal.
The Director General of Tourism Planning, Training, and Promotion, Miguel Ángel Rodríguez, expressed his satisfaction, although he lamented the money and time lost by citizens and administrations. 'If things had been done correctly from the beginning, the autonomous communities would have been consulted, and the Council of State, which warned that this registry infringed on competencies, would have been taken into account. We would have all saved a lot of time and money,' he stated.
From now on, those owners who did not register will no longer have to do so. Those who completed the process without issues can continue their activity, and those who were rejected will be able to market their homes again on vacation rental platforms, provided they are registered with the autonomous community and have their identification number. 'The number, the property's registration number, is what the Canary Islands registry provides,' Rodríguez recalled.
Furthermore, Rodríguez confirmed that the Canary Islands do not oppose the digital single window outlined in Royal Decree 1312/2024, considering it a useful tool for administrative coordination. However, he warned that its current operation is deficient and called for measures to ensure its proper functioning.
