As some of you may be aware, the authorities have put a clamp done on apartments that are rented out to holiday makers.

Without a licence, it is deemed illegal and can attract massive fines if caught.

Apparently, it has always been illegal but is only now being enforced (probably due to the hoteliers lobbying).

This has come as good news to locals who have been priced out of the long term rental market, I understand this.

However a lot of people over the last 30 years bought apartments (in good faith) to rent out and subsidize any mortgage or cost associated with their holiday home.

I also think that a lot of people that would rather stay in an apartment rather than a hotel will simply go elsewhere, thus local jobs being lost anyway.

I would have liked to think a healthy balance would be the ideal, but hey ho!

What do you think of this Dads?

My short term view on it Ro is that once again the Spanish (Mallorcan) junta have shot themselves and their citizens in the foot.
Plenty of land out there to build more houses/flats on, and if they are built not 'on the beach', then they won't have the same tourist investment appeal, and the locals can take their pick.
The solution certainly isn't to send people to Benidorm instead of Mallorca! Or anywhere else really. Some great deals on apartments in Crete for next year.
Look out, here comes a Spanish mini recession

I don't think that most of the Mallorcans know the phrase, "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

Mark and Mick, spot on.

Yes I understand you need to have properties that the locals can rent at fair prices but completly dismissing the tourist rentals is just plain daft.

I expect to see a lot of empty apartments next year

Yep its a shame \i can see a recession coming too at this rate. They dont seem to understand the only reason they have had a bumper couple of years is because of terrorist threats in the muslim countries and people wont take a chance. Our friends have been to Croatia for a change and they loved the place and said Spain has lost its appeal these days.

I think we need to broaden our horizons and try somewhere else although Europe is getting more and more expensive. Debbie fancies Mexico and has done for a while, I fancy Switzerland or something completely different such as the Galapagos Islands. Benidorm it is then lol

agree wholeheartedly with all the above