'Not one more': city mayor to halt all new Airbnb-style properties

Faced with pressure from the opposition on housing in Malaga, Francisco de la Torre wants to go further than the recent ban in 43 congested parts of the city

Pilar R. Quirós

Malaga

Friday, 28 March 2025 | Updated 30/03/2025 21:54h.

The mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, has announced that licences for all new Airbnb-style home rental properties are to be halted while the city reconsiders its planning permission rules for this type of tourist accommodation, which has surged in recent years.

Current estimates are that 13,000 of these types of property are being rented out in Malaga city, causing tensions with neighbours such as over visitors coming and going in residential blocks at strange hours or the effect on the supply of housing for full-time local residents.

Recently the mayor used new national legislation to block fresh registrations in 43 parts of the city where a study said there was already too much supply. However, with this week's announcement, a halt to all new ones - officially for a temporary but non-specified period - will be applied to all other areas of the city as well.

Speaking ahead of the full city council meeting on Wednesday this week, De la Torre said "Not a single one more than there is already," adding that he did not want areas of the city not covered by the recent ban to suddenly attract a lot more private rental tourist flats as a result.

The move comes ahead of a demonstration planned in the city for 5 April in favour of better access to housing. Opposition councillors have been calling for the mayor to do more. The pause applies to people renting out flats or houses in residential communities and not licensed blocks of self-catering flats built just for tourists.

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