Spain is set to see thousands of holiday rentals shut down as part of a new crackdown on tourist tax evaders. The Balearic government has passed a decree allowing local councils and town halls to close off illegal holiday rentals. Unregistered tourist apartments and villas, whose landlords are not paying Spain's mandatory tourist tax, will be sealed off.
This comes after data suggested there might be up to 8,700 illegal holiday lets in the Balearics alone. Inspectors now have the power to seal off properties found to be operating illegally, with local authorities also wanting police forces to assist in the inspections. The wide-ranging decree covers numerous issues, including 46 law changes in total.
These include measures relating to nature conservation, waste, roads and tourism, reports the Mirror . According to one report, there has been a near 10% increase in the number of holiday lets in Spain in the past year. Just last weekend, over 10,000 protesters took to the streets of Majorca - the largest island of the Balearics - demanding 'immediate measures' from the government to tackle tourist overcrowding.
READ MORE: Fly to Spain, Greece and Gran Canaria for less than £300pp in Loveholidays sale READ MORE: 'I went on holiday to Spain and one entry requirement at border control surprised me' Tensions between locals and tourists have been escalating in parts of Spain recently, with residents claiming that the surge in tourist numbers has caused rent prices to skyrocket and c.