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8h ago

Ibiza Imposes Heavy Fines on Illegal Tourist Rentals as Housing Crisis Deepens

Authorities have imposed fines over €40,000 on illegal holiday rentals, securing agreements from platforms to remove unlicensed listings

Richard, 35, a housing construction worker, stands inside his shack, where their family lives at a makeshift settlement "Can Rova 2", where workers with their families live due to a severe housing crisis that many locals blame on overtourism in Ibiza, Spain June 11, 2025. Residents and seasonal workers of Spanish island of Ibiza face a housing crisis, intensified by a post-pandemic visitor boom that has priced out many people, forcing them to share flats or stay in tents and motorhomes in unauthorized encampments. REUTERS/Nacho Doce
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Overview

  • Nearly 800 residents are living in makeshift settlements following the eviction of about 200 people from the Can Rovi 2 camp last month
  • Average rents reached 33.7 euros per square metre in July 2024, pushing workers earning around €1,381 to spend most of their wages on housing
  • Soaring costs have created shortages of teachers, nurses and other public servants who now commute from neighbouring Balearic islands or share overcrowded flats
  • The centre-left national government has pledged to triple the state housing budget and speed construction of social homes, but regional autonomy has slowed implementation
  • Activists and social workers report that landlords routinely prefer short-term tourist lets over families, leading to discrimination and displacement during peak season