The Balearic Islands government has recently launched a new app called Holiday Rental Check Mallorca, that allows tourists to check if holiday rental properties are legal.

While holiday in Mallorca, near the eastern coast of the Spanish Iberian Peninsula, staying in an apartment booked through the Internet or a holiday rentals agency may turn sour if the property owner is running it without a valid licence. In which case the owner has to face a fine of anything from EUR 3,000 to EUR 30,000. Add to that the cost of your holiday joy!

As part of Conselleria de Turismo de Mallorca’s campaign to stamp out illegal letting of apartments, and as part of the Balearic Islands’ initiative to regulate tourism rentals to protect those travelling to the islands – and to promote a sustainable tourism model that does not impact negatively on the destination – the Holiday Rental Check Mallorca is now live.

The app is available in four languages (English, Catalan, Spanish and German), and allows tourists to search their rental home with a registration number, address and / or the name of the property to check whether the property is compliant with all rental laws. Tourists can also search for legal properties on a map with a geolocation function.

“Protect our visitors and to be transparent with our rules”

Bel Busquet, vice president and Balearic minister for innovation, research and tourism said: “At the Balearic Islands government, we recognise our responsibility to protect our visitors and to be transparent with our rules and regulations.

“The new app allows visitors to have instant access to all the information they need about rental homes and to avoid any risks involved with renting illegal properties. Tourism continues to be a main contributor to the Balearic Island economy and we take on board the challenges and concerns of both locals and visitors.

“Our aim is to develop a long term and sustainable tourism strategy, which provides the maximum benefit for islanders and visitors”.

Tourists who book an illegal property will not be prosecuted however they run the risk or arriving at the destination, having already paid, and finding the rental home closed down for breaching current rental regulations.