Excessive tourism has been an issue in Spain for many years. As a result, cities throughout the country have started to ban short-term rentals. Now Alicante is joining this list as Spain has imposed a two-year ban on short-term rentals in the city.

Alicante and Spanish cities in general, have been a long-time popular vacation spot for the British. In more recent years, Americans have also been flocking to the city to enjoy the Spanish culture. However, in an attempt to bring in tourists, housing throughout Alicante has been purchased for the express purpose of short-term rentals. This has led to a housing shortage for residents with rents skyrocketing to the point where they are unaffordable, leading to many who once called Alicante home to move.

The ban goes into effect in January 2025. During the two-year ban, the local government will be assessing neighbourhoods to address how many short-term rentals are allowed in each neighbourhood, ‘reviewing all the laws over tourist lets and purify all those homes that do not comply with the regulations.’

It is estimated that in Alicante there are around 4,100 short-term rentals in the housing market, which accounts for 2.3% of the total property market. However, it is estimated that nearly 3,300 of these homes are not registered.