TOURIST LICENCE - MORE RESTRICTIONS - Page 2

We live in an apartment what really hacks me off is the mess the renters leave in the communal areas, I find no end of detritus, sand, sweet wrappers, fag ends flicked over balconys, all of which is left behind for muggins ie me to clean up otherwise I'm carrying it into our home.

Then complain to the owners of the apartment Pix.  I'd expect (and want) to be told if any of our renters were behaving badly.  But also double check it is a legal let and if it isn't report it.

Absent owner I'm sorry to say, tried emailing him, but no response, have complained to whoever it is that holds key, all I get is a shoulder shrug.

Then file a formal complaint via president and administrator.  Have you checked if it is a legal let?  

Its  definitely an illegal let no sign of licence plate outside property. The owner gets round that by advertising on Airbnb, as any Spainsh letting agent would have to show the licence number in the letting details.

We will have to go down the formal complaint via president route.

Thanks for all your advice 

I totally agree with the whole legalities of a tourist licence in such that any taxes are paid back into the economy.

There is nothing worse that having holiday makers drinking to excess at all hours and the inherent noise and hassle generally associated with it.

However the lettings did provide a good income for the local shops and bars because holiday makers dont shop like those who live here. They are not as careful. The lettings also provided a  good little mini economy with the cleaners, furnishings, and other local attractions that took money.

Now before you all jump on the band wagon about illegal working I'm not condoning this at all. I'm just saying that it helped the economy.

I was thinking of buying g another property with a view of renting but it just seems too much hassle and like the previous posts where could this lead to with even more beareaucratic issues. If it were made simpler I would have  considered it.

Perhaps it's me getting older and I just can't be bothered with the hassle.

On our community the owners who rent out but never come here themselves are a problem in that their houses may need painting, trees trimmed etc and it looks untidy. Those of us living here are putting up with that poor appearance and  the strangers coming and going on what is a community, not a holiday resort. So I agree with the higher charges in case the community needed in extreme case to employ a painter or  gardener. On top of this, some Owners who never come out have not paid their community charge for years! When they sell eventually, the community has the right to get that money vía legal means. 

Several points:

If any owner, resident or otherwise, has not paid their community fee then the community can withhold the right to use community facilities from anyone at that property, renting long-term, short-term or the owner ie, the occupants can be barred from using the pool, communal gardens, any other community facilities - the renters would not like that and would have the right to complain to the owner and take action against the owner.

Secondly the community already has the right to paint the house or tidy up the garden etc if the owner has defaulted on notice to do so, and the bill has to be paid by the owner or lodges as a debt against the property - again non-payment means that as a debtor they occupants of the property cannot use the shared facilities (other than walkways etc to access the property). 

Thirdly, I very much doubt that a neglected rental as you describe is a legal let - so shut it down.  If it is a legal let then the community administrator should have been informed.  A property that isn't licensed also isn't insured and a the owners are not paying tax either.  Call the police when guests are there, get the administrator to report the owner to the authorities.  Chances are the fines and back-tax will be so high that the owner will sell up.

Fourthly, if the owner owes a lot of money then they can be taken to court by the community, but obviously that is hassle and expense and takes time, so other options are best tackled first.

I have seen notices attached to property gates on some communities stating the owner has not paid their community fees and therefore anyone using the property is barred from using the pool, gardens, tennis court etc.  Naming and shaming once two payments have been missed seems to work quite well in some instances.  

It sounds to me as if both your president and administrator are not fulfilling their duties.  It also sounds like owners prefer having a moan rather than tackling the problem, to be honest.  It can be sorted, the powers to do so are already there.  It is letting the illegals get away with this sort of thing that gets everyone else doing it legally and responsibly a bad name.  

By the way, a property doesn't have to be a holiday let to be unkempt either!  Plenty of part-timers neglect their homes when not there as they don't pay for someone to check it, do the garden or clean up after storms etc.  

Good luck.  It is important that people do this.  The quickest way by far is to call the police when the guests are there but that could mean the innocent holiday maker gets evicted and finds themselves pretty destitute, so not the kindest way.  There is a slower but official reporting mechanism that can be followed that the administrator should be aware of, but I can PM you details if need be.

Airbnb and booking .com still have illegal lets on their sites but they are such big companies that the authorities don't act against them - they could be fined like the smaller companies are for advertising illegal lets but they get away with it,.

May I suggest that we all boycott these companies, and others that support this illegal activity.  I neither advertise on them or use them if I am looking for any accommodation anytime.  It would be rather hypocritical to speak out against them for supporting the illegals then using the same company myself and putting money their way!  There are companies out there who only take licensed properties onto their sites, Spain-holiday.com, Homeaway.co.uk, holidayhomesdirect.ie, theholidaylet.com and a number of others, including the forum's site.  Also if you have visiting relatives or friends please explain to them that they should stay in legal lets only, for their own protection, and suggest they use smaller sites when searching for accommodation rather than these giants who get away with breaking the law.

I agree the supply chain that benefits from these let's is vast, and I don't have a problem per se it's the thoughtless renters, they just drive away leaving the residents like me to clean up their mess, as the cleaners who clean the properties never clean the communal areas.

When you have had to clean up a pile of dog poo that was outside the apartments where we live and scrub the pavement, it's difficult not to feel resentful that the owners are getting the money and we are getting all the problems.