Fury in Tenerife as home listed for rent with 'do not apply' warning for locals
The landlord for a rental flat in Tenerife has controversially barred locals from applying for tenancy.
An advertisement for a budget-friendly apartment in Tenerife has controversially barred residents from applying for tenancy.
Soaring rental prices were one of the driving factors behind the protests that broke out across Spain last summer in the wake of rising visiting numbers and a dissatisfaction with the country's capacity to handle the influx.
And, with the Canary Islandsâ housing market still in steep ascent, discontent from locals has not abated - especially when money-hungry landlords deny them accommodation in favour of a higher turnover from overseas visitors.
The advertisement, posted by a Tenerife-based estate agent, told locals on the archipelagoâs largest island, to ârefrainâ from applying for tenancy for a 70-square-metre apartment on Calle Puerto Franco in Los Realejos.
âIMPORTANT!!!!! AT THE OWNERâS REQUEST, RESIDENTS REFRAIN,â the listing warned, adding capital letters and exclamation marks for maximum impact.
The otherwise unremarkable flat is made up of a bedroom, an open-plan kitchen, bathroom and balcony, listed for a budget-friendly ÂŁ582.74 (âŹ700) - ideal for workers in Tenerife, who have some of the lowest wages in all of Spain.
Data from the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics (ISTAC) suggests that rent on the island group has gone up by around 40% in the last five years, averaging ÂŁ998.98 (âŹ1,200).
Meanwhile, prices across Spain have risen by about 20% in the same timeframe, property portal pisos.com found earlier this month.
The report cited population growth around the country as a contributing factor, as well as a shortage in available property and growing demand for short-term holiday lets.
It also rated the Balearic Islands as the province with the highest average monthly rent - exceeding the ISTAC's estimate by suggesting that the number hovers around ÂŁ1,392.29 (âŹ1,672.45).
It means the housing market has been skewed towards wealthy foreigners, while the poorly-paid local population are forced to bunk with family members, according to local newspaper Tenerife Weekly.
Mass anti-tourism demonstrations took place across the archipelago last year, with around 10,000 people taking to the streets of Majorca in May to demand action against growing footfall.
The discontent with local responses to the problem continued to grow as peak season took hold, with up to 50,000 thought to have attended a larger protest in Palma de Mallorca last July.
While they had the effect of making some Brits feel unwelcome and motivated to cancel their summer breaks, the demonstrations did yield positive results.Â
The Balearic Government announced an increase in tourist tax charged for the summer months of June, July and August from 2025.Â
While it has not confirmed how large an increase would be, five-star hotels in the region already charge visitors an extra âŹ4 per person per day, falling to âŹ3 at four and three-star establishments.Â