El impacto mínimo de la cruzada contra la vivienda turística en Málaga

The article “El impacto mínimo de la cruzada contra la vivienda turística en Málaga” is a news‑feature piece published by El Español and authored by journalist Sebastián Sánchez. It analyses recent official data on short‑term tourist rentals in Málaga, examining the effectiveness of municipal measures introduced to curb the growth of such accommodations.

Official records from the Andalusian Tourism Register show that, as of 27 February 2026, there are 12 748 properties registered for short‑term rental in Málaga. This figure represents an increase of 1 631 units compared with the 11 117 listings recorded when the regional decree was first approved. Two years earlier, in February 2025, the number peaked at 13 305 before falling slightly to 12 870 in August 2025, and then stabilising at the current level.

Despite a series of municipal interventions—including the application of the General Urban Planning Plan (PGOU) requiring an independent entrance for tourist rentals, a ban on new licences in 43 neighbourhoods, and a three‑year moratorium introduced in early 2025—the total stock has continued to rise, albeit at a slower pace. The data indicate that the measures acted more as a partial brake than as a reversal of the upward trend.

The article notes a robust legal push‑back from owners, with “several hundred” judicial appeals filed against municipal restrictions. These challenges contest the city’s attempts to request deregistration of properties from the regional register, highlighting a contentious relationship between local authorities and the tourism‑rental sector.

Municipal reports, cited in the piece, link the proliferation of tourist rentals to negative social outcomes: erosion of neighbourhood identity, reduced availability of long‑term housing, heightened tensions in residential communities, and broader concerns about precarious labour conditions in the short‑term rental market.

The analysis concludes that the first set of policies produced a modest slowdown rather than a halt to growth. After the moratorium’s introduction, the number of registered rentals fell by only 120 units, from 12 870 to 12 748, suggesting limited efficacy of the restrictions in curbing expansion.

For a pan‑European audience focused on sustainable housing, the Málaga case illustrates the challenges cities face when attempting to balance tourism‑driven economic benefits with the need to preserve affordable, long‑term residential stock. The persistence of a large and growing tourist‑rental sector, despite regulatory attempts, underscores the importance of coordinated regional and local policies, robust enforcement mechanisms, and stakeholder engagement to achieve sustainable urban housing outcomes.