Starting this Monday, the Madrid City Council makes public on its official website the list of all tourist-use homes (VUT) that have a planning license in the city, with a total of 1,000 properties (of the 13,502 in the city), most of them located in the Centro, Tetuán and Arganzuela districts.
Of the thousand VUTs that operate with a license, 15.67% are located in the Center district (158); 13.69% (138) in Tetouan; 11.4% (115), in Arganzuela; 10% (101), in Chamartín; 7.83% (79), in Salamanca; 6.25% (63) in Ciudad Lineal; 5.55% in Carabanchel (56); 5.15% (52), in Chamberí, and 4.06% (41), in Puente de Vallecas, as reported by the area of ??Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility to Europa Press.
In addition, 3.57% (36) are located in Retiro; 3.47% (35), in Fuencarral-El Pardo; 3.37% (34), in Latin; 2.87% (29), in Usera; 2.18% (22), in Moncloa-Aravaca; 1.68% (17), in Hortaleza; 1.09% (11), in Moratalaz; 0.59% in San Blas-Canillejas (6); 0.49% (5), in Barajas; 0.39% (4), in Villaverde; 0.29% (3), in Vicálvaro, and the same percentage (3), in Villa de Vallecas.
This measure is part of the action plan to balance the accommodation market in the capital presented by the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, on April 25.
The plan, prepared by the area directed by Borja Carabante, includes a battery of measures to organize housing for tourist use that, to a large extent, operates in the city irregularly.
The current municipal government considers that the Special Accommodation Plan (PEH) that the City Council approved on March 27, 2019 did not manage to prevent its proliferation, and “the impact of its uncontrolled expansion contributes to accelerating the desertification of the center, generates coexistence with neighbors, reduces residential housing and affects tourism.”
To reverse these problems derived from the irregular growth of VUT, the capital adopted some measures to correct the underground activity.
Among them, the temporary suspension of municipal licenses stands out immediately, the tightening of the sanctioning regime for those owners whose properties operate as VUT without authorization from the City Council or the reinforcement of the staff of inspectors.
The City Council also committed to publishing an official list of licensed VUTs and their actual location, in addition to launching a new regulation for VUTs with the Modification of the General Plan.
The Modification of the General Plan will imply a wording that will replace the current Lodging Plan. The new text will be prepared with the aim of increasing the supply of residential housing in the downtown area, attracting new neighbors.
We also want to organize the tourist offer by offering quality tourism to visitors; improve the lives of Madrid residents who may be affected by the inconvenience caused by some VUTs; and provide greater security to tourists who choose to enjoy the city in this type of accommodation.
The initial approval of the Modification of the General Plan will be taken to the Government Board next September to submit it to public information and it is expected to be raised to the Plenary Session in the first quarter of next year.
Until then, VUT licenses are “frozen” for two types of uses within the territorial scope contemplated by the Special Hosting Plan (rings 1, 2 and 3).
For residential use, licenses for dispersed VUT and licenses for the transformation of premises into housing in the commercial hubs of the Center district are suspended. VUT licenses are also suspended in buildings other than residential areas that are located on the ground floor. This is thus a precautionary measure adopted before the future management of the VUT is defined.
The Madrid City Council does not have specific sanctioning regulations for VUT. Until now, the procedure followed in the event of detection of irregular operation of a VUT that cannot be legalized is the one governed by Law 39/2015 on Administrative Procedure.
Initially, the cessation of the activity is ordered; If the owner does not comply with the municipal order and is subsequently found to continue operating illegally, periodic penalty payments of 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 euros are imposed (articles 100 to 105).
From now on, when the Madrid City Council verifies that a home is dedicated to tourist use without having a license for this purpose, it will act under the Land Law of the Community of Madrid (LSCM).
Regional legislation classifies the implementation of a use incompatible with urban planning as a serious infraction.
Under these regulations, the City Council will execute a first notice of termination order. In case of non-compliance, there will be a firm penalty of 30,001 euros; a second firm sanction of 60,001 euros if the irregular activity continues, and a third of 100,001 euros if the operation persists.
The sanctions are cumulative if the violation of the law continues.
Another line within this action plan will consist of strengthening the inspectorate body. The General Subdirectorate of Inspection and Discipline has 65 workers for all inspection activity. This summer, the City Council will add ten more people to the service.
In 2023, the Inspection and Disciplinary Service received 51% more complaints than in 2022 that affected homes and apartments for tourist use: 686 compared to 454. 82% came from citizens (563) and of the total inspections carried out (4,093), it was verified that 478 homes were VUT and 243 were restored to residential use.
14,699 tourist establishments operate in the city: 92% are VUT (13,502), but only 1,008 operate with a municipal license. Regarding the beds offered in all tourist accommodations, the figure reaches 158,756 places, of which 30% are located in VUT (47,589).
The rest, in 320 hotels, 473 pensions and hostels, 130 tourist apartments, 14 hotel-apartments and 260 establishments, which include guest houses, hostels and hostels.
The VUT have increased in the city by 41% since 2017. While in this time 5,564 new tourist homes have been recorded, in the same period 50 tourist establishments have been created (hotels, pensions, hostels, etc.), which is has translated into that 65% of the new tourist places created in this period correspond to the VUT.
Between 2007 and 2023, the census population in the city of Madrid has increased by 4.86% (154,943 inhabitants), going from 3,184,988 citizens to 3,339,931. In the Centro district, however, it has decreased by 1.14% (1,610 people), going from 141,297 inhabitants to 139,687.
In this district there is one tourist staying for every two residents, while in the central area there is one for every nine residents.
