Apartment sub-letting scam in Spain

[Perikles]

A woman in Barcelona let her apartment out to a bloke who promptly advertised it for holiday letting via Airbnb. Unable to contact the tenant, the woman had to book her own apartment as a holiday let, move in, then change the locks.

El País in English

[TOTO 99]

The people in power don't like Airbnb do they eh?.....Same with Uber......

They ruin a right cushy number for the corrupt b'stards over at City Hall......

And this says it all......" the problem is Airbnb is hurting locals by not wishing to comply with the law and [hurting] small property owners"

I think we all know exactly who Airbnb are hurting......

[Nova]

Actually Airbnb hurt every resident who has to put up with the noisy, irresponsible fucking bastard illegal holidaymakers who piss in our pools, break our pool furniture and prevent those of us who pay our community fees from enjoying the facilities that we pay for. Given how few properties can actually be legally holiday let privately in these islands, it shouldn't be too hard to hold Airbnb accountable to the law and clamp down on the bastards.

So yes, Airbnb do very much hurt the locals by facilitating illegal lets 

[TOTO 99]

Actually Airbnb hurt every resident who has to put up with the noisy, irresponsible fucking bastard illegal holidaymakers who piss in our pools, break our pool furniture and prevent those of us who pay our community fees from enjoying the facilities that we pay for. Given how few properties can actually be legally holiday let privately in these islands, it shouldn't be too hard to hold Airbnb accountable to the law and clamp down on the bastards.

So yes, Airbnb do very much hurt the locals by facilitating illegal lets 

Far be it from me but I would put the responsibility for that fairly and squarely on the property owner.....

[Nova]

Far be it from me but I would put the responsibility for that fairly and squarely on the property owner.....

I can't argue with that!  It's entirely on the property owners, but I don't think these companies should be allowed to facilitate their illegal activity either.

[TOTO 99]

I can't argue with that!  It's entirely on the property owners, but I don't think these companies should be allowed to facilitate their illegal activity either.

Oh I don't disagree Nova. Going back to my original post, the fact that it happens at all says to me that not enough is being done by the authorities to stop it....I wonder why that might be?

[Janet]

Thing is, Airbnb is a useful tool for people to let legally. I wouldn't want to do it, wouldn't want complete strangers renting a room, say, in my house, but if I had a property to let and it was legal to let it to tourists, e.g if I was registered under the VV scheme in the Canaries, then I think it's a marvellous tool.

The fact that some tourists act like animals, or some owners break the law and let illegally doesn't alter that, and I don't see that Airbnb can be blamed for scumbags doing what they shouldn't. Inconsiderate holidaymakers on complexes don't need Airbnb to facilitate their selfishness, and indeed the most selfish I ever came across in four years on a complex were owners anyway.

And yet, Airbnb makes it all so easy ... a large part of me feels it's not their fault at all, but then again that feels wrong. Making it so easy must involve some of the responsibility.

[Perikles]

The fact that some tourists act like animals, or some owners break the law and let illegally doesn't alter that, and I don't see that Airbnb can be blamed for scumbags doing what they shouldn't. Inconsiderate holidaymakers on complexes don't need Airbnb to facilitate their selfishness, and indeed the most selfish I ever came across in four years on a complex were owners anyway.

And yet, Airbnb makes it all so easy ... a large part of me feels it's not their fault at all, but then again that feels wrong. Making it so easy must involve some of the responsibility.

In the case I quoted above, the owner seemed entirely blameless, but had the bad luck to let to a scumbag tenant. If a tenant acts illegally and sub-lets, it is difficult for the owner to take action, and might not even be aware of it..

I think that cursing or defending Airbnb is a complete red herring - it's not their fault if their clients are acting illegally, and I don't see how they could prevent it.

[Nova]

When I let out my property in the UK, I had to prove my ownership to the agent to show that I had the right to let it out.  Why can't the likes of Airbnb do that as a minimum?  In the Canaries it would surely also be simple enough for Airbnb to request proof of VV status.  It shouldn't be enough just to say in their small print that "hosts" are expected to self-audit.  I know, Airbnb et al claim to be portals or platforms rather than agents, but why?  If these portals had to adhere to the same regulations as agents, it surely wouldn't be quite so easy for the crooks to exploit those systems.

[Michael]

I'm tempted to post on some Tenerife FB groups something like this

I own an apartment in a complex in South Tenerife. How do I go about reporting owners who are doing short term holiday lets to the authorities?

Then sit back and wait for the fireworks. 

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