Investigations carried out by Consell de Mallorca inspectors reveal that three buildings in Palma, which were fined nearly 2.5 million euros this summerare linked to these criminal networks. In the first case, announced in mid-August, a total fine of 960,000 euros was imposed, or 80,000 euros for each of the 12 apartments in the building. In a second case, reported a month later, two additional buildings of ten and seven units were fined at the same rate (80,000 euros per unit), which led to a cumulative fine of 1.36 million euros. euros.

New fines on the way

In all likelihood, these won’t be the last buildings fined this year. The government’s Ministry of Tourism has identified additional buildings with similar illegal practicesand other interventions may be imminent. These cases typically involve networks that rent properties and then illegally sublet them without the owners’ knowledge.

According to José Marcial Rodríguez, the island’s tourism advisor, the profile of these networks is consistent: they include Spanish and foreign people. Rodríguez explains that the legal framework, combined with the evasive tactics of these offenders, requires meticulous collection of evidence. “Our legislation is very protective, but it is also confusing, abundant and often vague,” he says, emphasizing that these criminal networks exploit these flaws to continue operating even after being detected and fined.

Rodríguez describes these groups as “well-organized mafias” that hide behind several companies and transfer their income between them. “They rent to each other, transfer funds between companies… which makes it very difficult for investigators to follow them“, he said, adding that “they exploit all the legal loopholes, fully aware of the slowness of administrative procedures.” Although efforts are underway to strengthen control mechanisms, Rodríguez admits that eliminating these practices remains a considerable challenge.

It remains unclear whether these networks are linked to similar groups identified in Catalonia, although this possibility has not been ruled out. Barcelona City Hall has already identified around ten mafia groups involved in illegal tourist rentals, employing tactics similar to those seen in the Balearic Islands. These groups are believed to remain active in Barcelona, ​​with around 40 separate groups identified in recent years.

The growing complexity of illegal tourist rentals has led the Balearic government to increase funding to combat fraud. Last week, the government announced that part of the revenue from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) would be allocated to combating the problem.responding to requests from island councils, which oversee tourism-related matters.

Hotel quote

The hospitality industry estimates that around 50% of tourist rentals in the Balearic Islands may be operating illegally. This figure, although approximate and difficult to verify with precision, can be reasonably deduced by analyze tourist arrivals and stays in approved accommodation. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that the illegal market is unlikely to reach the 90% level suggested by former housing councilor Marta Vidal, who estimated that around 235,000 tourist rentals were unregulated. Although the hotel sector considers this figure somewhat inflated, it shares the broader observation, particularly regarding the challenges of controlling an activity that has exceeded the regulatory framework in recent years.