Jurídicos y Administrativos

🏡 In November 2024, Spain had 368,295 registered tourist rental homes offering 1.8 million places, surpassing hotel capacities of under 1.1 million. Over one-third of workers, primarily women, operate without contracts, causing a €16.5 million annual social security loss. UGT identifies 26,544 full-time needed roles, with many part-time workers paid 22-25% less due to different regulations. Companies now dominate rentals, earning 20% per booking, complicating labor inspections due to private property restrictions.

🏠 Arturo Bernal criticized Spain's Real Decreto 1312, set to regulate short-term tourist rentals from July 1, 2025. He claims it lacks enforcement measures, causing confusion and insecurity. Despite efforts by Andalucía and others to propose solutions, Spain ignored their input, leading to increased administrative costs. Andalucía has already canceled over 8,000 illegal tourist accommodations through local regulations. Bernal stresses the need for a unified national registry aligning with existing regional records.

💸 Dutch consumers and hoteliers are suing Booking for allegedly keeping hotel prices artificially high for over a decade. The Consumentenbond and the Competition Complaints Foundation accuse Booking of misleading agreements to prevent hotels from offering lower prices elsewhere. Evidence includes manipulated prices and false occupancy rates. If successful, these lawsuits could result in huge compensation payouts, potentially putting Booking in a severe financial crisis in the Netherlands.

🛩 EasyJet cabin crew strikes from Wednesday to Friday entitle affected passengers to compensations of at least €250, ticket refunds, and expense reimbursements. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, compensations range from €250 to €600 based on flight distance. The European Court of Justice ruled in April 2018 that strikes aren't "extraordinary circumstances," so airlines must pay. Exceptions apply if cancellations are communicated with sufficient notice. Compensation can be reduced by 50% if alternative transport arrives within specific timeframes.

✈️ EasyJet cabin crew in Spain went on strike from June 25 to 27, canceling 210 flights. The USO union threatens an indefinite strike in August if negotiations over fair wages and working conditions do not progress. EasyJet crew in Spain earn significantly less than their European counterparts, with disparities of up to 210% compared to Switzerland. The union accuses EasyJet of using foreign crews from Italy, Germany, and Switzerland during strikes. EasyJet claims its contracts comply with local laws.

✈ Ryanair's €107.7 million fine suspended by Madrid's Superior Court of Justice, prompting consumer group Facua to accuse the airline of misrepresenting the ruling. Ryanair claims compliance with EU law, but a 2014 European Court of Justice ruling declared such fees illegal. The court requires Ryanair to provide a €111.8 million bank guarantee. Norwegian Air also has its €1.6 million fine suspended. Facua encourages consumer lawsuits at no cost.

📚 Consumo intensifies efforts against illegal tourist accommodation ads in Spain, especially in high-tourist areas like the Canary Islands. A key move involved removing 65,935 illegal ads from platforms like Airbnb and Booking, identified by Consumo’s Analysis Unit. The Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid endorsed these actions. Common infractions include missing or incorrect license numbers and unclear legal status of landlords. This crackdown aims to ease housing access difficulties for thousands across Spain.

📑 Booking.com, tras un requerimiento del Ministerio de Consumo, eliminó 4,093 anuncios de alojamientos turísticos no conformes a normativas, mayormente en Islas Canarias. Adicionalmente, afectados fueron alojamientos en Asturias, Cantabria, Castilla y León, Castilla-La Mancha, Navarra, y La Rioja. Desde el 1 de julio, Booking debe proporcionar mensualmente a la Administración datos detallados de los arrendamientos. Esta acción sigue una decisión del Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid contra Airbnb por 65,000 anuncios ilegales.

📅 Desde el 1 de julio, el Número de Registro Único de Alquiler (NRUA) será necesario para alquileres de corta duración a través de plataformas transaccionales en línea, según el Colegio de Registradores. No afecta a hoteles ni campings. El NRUA es automático al solicitarlo, con un coste de 27 euros más IVA. La normativa ha sido recurrida por varias comunidades autónomas. Fevitur advierte que el sistema podría afectar al 70% de la oferta de viviendas turísticas.

🛩 El Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid suspendió provisionalmente multas a Ryanair y Norwegian Air, inicialmente impuestas por el Ministerio de Consumo en noviembre de 2024. Ryanair enfrenta una sanción de 107.7 millones de euros, mientras que Norwegian debe 1.6 millones, debido a prácticas de cobro por equipaje de mano y otros servicios. Ambas aerolíneas deben presentar un aval bancario de 111.8 millones de euros cada una en 15 días para evitar la reactivación de estas sanciones.