Author: Leah Pattem / Photos: Elisa González
The council approves a new law that expels residents and multiplies tourist apartment blocks
Madrid’s right-wing city council has just approved what it claims is a “solution” to the city’s housing emergency. The ruling Popular Party (PP) argues that its new legislation will separate tourists from long-term residents by banning individual illegal tourist apartments within residential buildings. Yet, at the same time, it is paving the way for entire buildings to be converted into tourist-only accommodation, and enabling the conversion of commercial units to ground-floor tourist flats.
The new law, expected to come into effect after the summer pending approval by the Community of Madrid, which is highly likely, will allow thousands of centrally located buildings (particularly in Centro, Chamberí, Salamanca, Retiro, and Arganzuela) to shift from residential to tourist use with just a simple license change. It mirrors what is already happening in the Canary Islands. Around 2,831 buildings – approximately 17% of those in Madrid’s historic centre – could be transformed under the new rules, if their owners choose to do so.
An additional 6,637 residential blocks may also be converted, this time with a time-limited license capped at 15 years – though this limit could easily be extended if the PP remains in power. In effect, the council is rezoning vast parts of the capital, deepening the housing crisis by shifting large swathes of the housing stock from long-term rental use to short-term tourist lets.
In the city centre alone, there are 1,200 single-owner buildings (a.k.a. vertical properties) that could now be swiftly converted into de facto aparthotels. Across the city, a further 315,000 homes may be eligible to become legal tourist flats.
A key feature of the new disastrous plan is the expansion of ground-floor tourist flats on high streets. Independent street access has long been a requirement for obtaining a municipal license (this was implemented by Manuela Carmena with the intention of restricting tourist apartments), but new licenses had not been issued for some time. However, that has now changed, with the council allowing for a further 66,000 small businesses to be converted.
The new policy also does nothing address the existence of more than 15,000 illegal tourists apartments in Madrid, nor their proliferation, with no increase in the number of inspectors, which currently stands at 17 for the whole city. This means illegal rentals operating inside residential blocks are expected to continue largely unchecked, and many more will come into existence.
In practice, the new law clears the way for full-building conversions like those proposed at Tribulete 7, General Lacy 22, Tirso de Molina 20 and Mesón de Paredes 88 – four bloques en lucha that are already being evicted.
The current council has no intention of solving Madrid’s housing emergency. Instead, they are accelerating the disappearance of residential life in the capital and replacing us with tourists. This is the death of Madrid as we know it.
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