Canary Islands Enact New Law Regulating Tourism Use of Homes to Promote Sustainable Development and Housing Rights
Published: December 12, 2025|environment-and-sustainability|Gobierno de Canarias
Canary Islands Law 6/2025 on Sustainable Tourism Housing
Overview
The Canary Islands government promulgated the Law 6/2025 on December 10, 2025, to regulate the sustainable use of tourism housing. This legislation aligns with the autonomous community's exclusive powers over tourism and urban planning. Its primary aim is to balance the booming tourism sectorâespecially the surge in vacation homesâagainst residents' right to adequate, affordable housing and environmental preservation.
Key Measures
- Limits on Tourist Housing Conversion:
- Setting strict limits on the proportion of residential buildings that can be converted into tourist accommodations.
- Minimum reserves range from 80% to 90% of residential edificability, depending on the island.
- Urban Planning and Community Interests:
- Emphasizes the importance of urban planning to ensure that housing transformations serve community interests such as social cohesion, heritage conservation, and environmental sustainability.
- Registration, Control, and Inspection:
- Introducing a comprehensive framework for the registration, control, and inspection of tourist housing.
- Requiring declarations responsibility and periodic renewals, with safeguards against irregularities and impacts.
- Technical and Environmental Standards:
- Establishing regulations for technical standards of tourist residences.
- Focusing on energy efficiency, accessibility, and environmental management.
- Aiming for carbon neutrality by 2030.
Protection and Special Provisions
- Protected Areas:
- Special provisions protect vulnerable zones, historic areas, protected spaces, and regions under natural or rural protection regimes from tourist housing activities.
- Deadlines and Incentives:
- Setting deadlines for municipal plans to adapt.
- Limiting the duration of existing declarations.
- Providing incentives for restoring residential use and upgrading existing tourist buildings.
Overall Goals
The law seeks to foster a balanced, sustainable tourism model that respects residentsâ fundamental rights, preserves nature and cultural heritage, and ensures urban and environmental integrity in the Canary Islands.