Government siege on companies with hundreds under management. The General Directorate of Consumer Affairs, dependent on the , has initiated a line of investigation in various autonomous communities in search of unfair commercial practices that constitute violations of the General Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users.
The norm defines as a deceptive practice, in its fifth article, “any conduct that contains false information or information that, even if true, due to its content or presentation misleads or may mislead the recipients, being likely to alter their economic behavior.” . The same text contemplates, in article 27, cases such as fraudulently stating or creating the false impression that a businessman or professional is not acting within the framework of his business or professional activity, or fraudulently presenting himself as a consumer or user.
As of March 31, the boom in tourist rentals translated into this purpose in the 20 cities that record the most overnight stays in Spain, according to data managed by the Alliance for Tourism Excellence (Exceltur), which represents a growth of 23% compared to the figures for the first quarter of 2022.
This is not the first time that the ministry led by Pablo Bustinduy has focused on the business of tourist apartments and accommodation. Consumption opened an investigation last June, this being a practice that would also imply a violation of the General Law for the Defense of Consumers and Users.
The investigations launched now focus on the operations of those tourist apartments that, even having a license, are managed irregularly by intermediary companies that operate in different places in the country. An investigation file was also launched last October that alleged abusive practices were carried out against tenants in the management of the rental. Among the latter, the obligation to pay a commission by users for the management of the lease stands out; that of signing temporary contracts without justifying the temporary nature, and the acceptance of clauses that contravene the regulations.
Minister Bustinduy set the goal of helping his department, with actions like these, to stop this. “There are thousands of families who live on the edge in our country because of housing, while a few get rich with business models that expel people from their homes,” said the head of Consumption. In addition to demanding that speculation around housing be stopped, Pablo Bustinduy has asked all public administrations to .
A report published this Tuesday by the platform maintains that housing is . In Spain, young people must allocate, on average, up to 94% of their salary to be able to emancipate themselves, and that moment does not come until they are 30 years old.
