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Big changes coming this July in Spain that you have to know about
Spain has introduced sweeping updates covering short-term holiday lets, train travel and motorcycle tests
August is generally a pretty sleepy month in Spain as the Spanish government takes a well-deserved (ahem!) break and many of us mere mortals head off on our holidays. Ahead of this, the government seems to have gone into overdrive on July 1 as three major regulatory changes take effect simultaneously, impacting everything from holiday rentals to train travel and motorcycle licensing.
1. Short-term holiday rental apartments in Spain
The most immediate change affects anyone renting out their property to tourists. From this Tuesday, all holiday homes, temporary accommodations and room rentals must be registered with the government's new Digital One-Stop Shop for Rentals before they can be advertised online. This mandatory system, which has been voluntary for the past six months, assigns every rental property a unique registration number that must be displayed in all online advertisements.
Property owners should note that this national registration doesn't replace local licensing requirements. Many municipalities still require their own permits for tourist accommodations, so anyone looking for a registration code will be asked to prove that they're complying with local regulations too.
Much to the surprise of pretty much everyone, the uptake has been rather impressive. Nearly 200,000 applications have come in since January, with more than 125,000 arriving just in the past month as the deadline approached.
Going forward, platforms like Airbnb and Booking.com will have to display these registration numbers and send monthly reports to the government, with hefty fines waiting for those who don't play ball.
Once approved, registrations last for one year, after which owners will be asked for an anonymous list of all the rental contracts they signed during that year, plus details about any changes to how they operate.
This lets the government check that properties are actually being used for what they're registered for and operating legally.
At the same time, many communities up and down the country are holding Extraordinary General Meetings (EGMs) to decide whether or not to continue to allow short-term tourist rentals to operate in their buildings and blocks.
Some people are against tourist lets on the grounds that it invites a continuous, rolling stream of outsiders into the community who are perceived as having less respect for the facilities and rules; which those in favour of continuing to allow tourist rentals argue that it brings in much needed life and funds to the local economy.
2. Train travel
These rental changes are happening alongside major shifts in how Spain handles, and charges for, train travel. The era of virtually free train rides that helped millions get through the energy crisis after the Ukraine war broke out is coming to an end.
Renfe's generous subsidy scheme, which let people travel unlimited for just a small refundable deposit, gets replaced this month with a new system that focuses help on those who need it most.
Young people come out as the big winners here. Anyone born between 1999 and 2010 can grab the new Youth Monthly Pass for just €10, giving them unlimited travel on commuter and medium distance trains.
Families with younger kids born from January 1, 2011 onwards keep travelling completely free through the new Children's Season Ticket.
Regular commuters and frequent travellers, on the other hand, face a mixed bag. The free rides are gone, but new subsidised season tickets for commuter trains will keep things affordable, though we don't know the exact prices yet.
Medium distance train travellers get two choices: a 10-trip season ticket that can be shared and offers 40% savings, or a personal monthly season ticket with the same discount.
Young adults still get extra perks on medium distance routes with their Youth Monthly Season Ticket cutting adult prices in half.
3. Motorcycle licences
The transportation changes don't stop with trains. Spain's motorcycle licensing system is getting a major safety upgrade at the same time.
The biggest change affects people going for the A license, which lets you ride any motorcycle regardless of size or power. Both students and instructors now have to wear certified motorbike airbag vests during all on-road practical training sessions.
The practical training is getting beefed up too, with road time doubling from two to four hours, and at least half of that happening on interurban roads where most serious motorcycle crashes occur.
This all builds on existing A license requirements: you need to be at least 20 years old, have held an A2 license for two years minimum and complete a nine-hour training course that mixes classroom time, practice circuits and real-world riding.
Thankfully, when it comes to motorbikes at least, that’s it for the July upheaval, but more changes are almost certainly coming down the line. At the moment, drivers in Spain who have held a B license for at least three years are allowed to ride motorcycles up to 125 cc.
However, the DGT plans to introduce a mandatory training course for these drivers as well. The exact date for this new rule has yet to be confirmed.
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Image: Freepik
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