In a report by the Levante newspaper yesterday, it was said that the 5,000 tourist rental apartments and villas, plus those that are not legally registered are having an adverse effect on the town right now.
The facts are that Javea has more tourist rental places (30,533 spread over 4,935 villas and apartments) than actual registered residents (about 30,000). In addition, we are told that many tourist rental properties are not properly registered. This situation, which has been on the rise in recent years, has “turned upside down” a model that was based on attracting second-home buyers. Holiday rentals, of course, attract families just looking for a peaceful break, but it has also opened the door to other, more noisy visitors.
During the last two summers of the pandemic, with nightlife at half-mast, a new tourism pattern emerged – that of young people who rented villas to have a great time and throw parties. Now that normality has returned, that revelry style tourism is not declining. Many of these visitors arrive by bus and drag their suitcases to the house they have rented, which usually has more tenants than is actually permitted.
We see kids leaving the Chinese bazaar with mats and they are not for the beach. They throw them on the floor of the apartment or villa and there they sleep.
Meanwhile, an owner who has been spending the summers for years in an apartment in the centre of Arenal says that it is difficult to sleep a wink since “only a hedge separates us” with several vacation rental properties where parties are held every night.
Last summer there were fights and the police had to be called.
We have seen, on the internet, that the ground floor of one of these apartments is offered for four people, but many more get in there and there is a daily brawl. We spoke last summer with the owner, who told us to go protest the estate agent.
There are more quotes by people who are suffering from these inconsiderate people on the original article ( link at base of page), but this explosion of vacation rental homes also has another effect. Conventional rents are through the roof. Owners prefer to get as much as they can from their properties during the summer months. The very expensive rents prevent, for example, hotel workers from moving to Javea in the summer. Businesses need employees, but the possible workers do their sums and with what they are going to be charged for local accommodation, it is not worth it to them to accept employment.
Source and cover photo: Levante.com
