The phenomenon of tourist accommodations has grown exponentially in Madrid, severely affecting areas like Palacio, Chueca, Malasaña, and Lavapiés. As traditional rental contracts come to an end, apartments are being converted into vacation rentals, especially in the central and tourist areas of the city.
The Centro district is one of the most affected, with a high proportion of homes designated for tourist rentals, leading to a significant increase in prices and saturation in areas like Sol, Canalejas, and Huertas. Neighbors and associations like those of Sol and Letras have expressed their concern about this situation, which has transformed the configuration of entire neighborhoods.
To counteract this trend, the Madrid City Council has implemented the Reside Plan, which restricts vacation rental activity in the historic center and seeks to protect neighborhood life and local commerce. Despite the measures adopted, the problem persists and extends to other neighborhoods like Tetuán, which also seek to be included in protected zones.
The profitability of tourist accommodations is considerably higher than that of traditional rentals, which has motivated a rapid growth of this type of lodging in the city. The association of tourist use accommodations argues that the perception of saturation does not reflect reality, claiming that more people live in the center than before.
In the Sol and Letras neighborhood, the proliferation of tourist apartments has transformed local dynamics, affecting the daily lives of its residents and reducing the presence of shops and services in favor of businesses aimed at tourism. The constant traffic of luggage and the presence of vacation rentals have changed the area's landscape, generating tensions between residents and visitors.
The struggle of neighbors and associations against the invasion of tourist accommodations is palpable in the occupancy rates of these properties in areas like Sol to Ópera, which have the highest visitor dedication rates in the city. Despite efforts to regulate this issue, saturation persists and threatens to empty neighborhoods of their local and resident essence.
The consequences of this trend are evident in the everyday life of previously bustling and crowded areas, such as the plaza de Santa Ana, which has drastically reduced its resident population in favor of tourists. The fight of communities like that of Calle del Príncipe, 15 is a paradigmatic example of neighborhood resistance against a phenomenon that threatens to displace inhabitants from their own neighborhoods.
