Madrid has more than 2,300 holiday rentals removed in the Balearic Islands — a breakthrough with risks

More than 2,300 listings disappear — but does that solve the housing problem?

In the morning, as the bells of La Seu still echoed and delivery scooters raced along the Passeig del Born between street cafés, people in Palma were talking about only one thing: Madrid has activated the central registry against illegal holiday rentals. The result: platforms were asked to take down all properties without a valid registration number. According to the administration, more than 2,300 listings on the Balearic Islands are affected.

Why this suddenly works — and what's behind it

The logic is simple and basically sensible: only apartments with a valid registration number may be advertised. Platforms like Airbnb, Booking and similar must remove listings without a number. Practically, this means in the short term: visibility gone, revenue gone — and for some landlords complete trouble. For authorities it is an easy win; the pressure from the streets, from cafés and from affected neighbours has apparently had an effect.

But the matter has several layers: On the one hand, the measure is a clear signal to the portal operators: either you check properly, or you face sanctions. On the other hand, the action reveals technical and organisational gaps: the central register is new, interfaces with the platforms have only just been programmed, and many landlords complain that they are entitled but have not yet received a number because of paperwork or IT problems.

Who gets left behind? The forgotten ones

A central problem that is often neglected in public debate: collateral damage. Those who have submitted their papers but have not yet received feedback suddenly lose the opportunity to advertise — with financial consequences. Some landlords report long waiting times, missing confirmation emails or conflicting information between regional and central authorities. This leads to frustration and, in isolated cases, existential worries, especially for people who depend on the summer season.

At the same time, the question remains how thoroughly the platforms check: do they only remove listings without a visible number or do they go deeper and match owner data with the register? If only the surface is cleaned up, a large part of the problem remains — and some bad actors will find new ways to forge numbers or disguise listings.

The political dynamics on the island

Surprisingly in the current round is the cross-party unanimity: conservative regional politicians and social democrats are jointly pushing this issue. Apparently political will and local pressure from neighbourhoods meet here: residents complain about noise, permanently blocked stairwells and a noticeable decrease in long-term rental apartments. That creates political pressure to act — and that can be seen in decisions like this.

The regional government admits that the register still needs improvements in some areas. At the same time it is emphasised that tax checks and inspections have been significantly expanded since 2023 — some even speak of a tripling of inspections. Whether these checks are sustainable now depends on capacities and networking on site, not only on central directives from Madrid.

What locals really feel

For many residents of Mallorca this could bring initial relief. If fewer apartments are offered as holiday accommodation, the stock of permanent rental apartments could potentially increase — especially in highly contested neighbourhoods like Santa Catalina, Es Jonquet or Palma's city centre. Families who had previously been desperate in the search for an apartment see a glimmer of hope in such measures.

But caution: such effects do not occur automatically. Apartments that disappear from the short-term rental market are not automatically converted into long-term rental offers. Complementary measures are needed: tax incentives for long-term rental, tenant protections and rules that make speculation less attractive.

Practical problems and possible solutions

The current situation also highlights simple, pragmatic construction sites: the IT interface between the register and the platforms must become more stable. A phased approach would be fairer — a transition period for cases already applied for but not yet confirmed, combined with sanctions against platforms that do not cooperate in obvious violations. Central and regional authorities should enable data matching so that listings can be checked not only visually but also substantively.

Concrete proposals: an accelerated 'fast-track' process for legitimate landlords, clear deadlines for platforms to remove illegal listings, regular public reports on the number of deleted vs. recurring listings and a local hotline — for example in Palma — to help landlords and neighbours with technical questions.

An interim conclusion — and a look into the cafés

In the end the guiding question remains: will 2,300 removed listings sustainably improve housing in Mallorca — or do they only create short-term order while other holes in the system remain open? In the coming weeks it will become clear how precise the checks are, how quickly platforms react and how well the administration implements improvements.

I will continue to follow the upcoming rounds of talks with platforms and authorities — not in sterile meeting rooms, but where the mood is formed: at the bar of a small café in Santa Catalina. There, between the smell of coffee, engine noise and sea breeze, you hear fastest what really annoys people and where real solutions are needed.