A large proportion of visitors who come to Andalucia for their holidays rent a self-catering apartment or villa, whether by the beach or inland; in a city or in the mountains.
New regulations for tourist accommodation (BOJA Decreto 28/2016) came into force this month (February 2016) to stipulate formally what property owners are obligated to provide for their guests.
Here is a list of the new rules, some of which are more specific than others.
A property is defined as accommodating a maximum of 15 people, with up to four in each room. Access to tourist accommodation cannot be denied for reasons of birth, race, sex, religion, opinion, or other personal or social circumstance
Each property must offer the following.
Practical equipment:
- sufficient equipment and furnishings for immediate use, according to how many people are being accommodated
- bedding, towels and household goods in general, as well as spare sets
- air-conditioning units in all bedrooms and communal lounge areas to provide cooling (if rented from May to September) and heating (October to April). Owners have one year to comply with this; properties are exempt when classified as “of Cultural Interest” and modifications and/or building work is prohibited.
- fully-stocked medical kit
- direct external ventilation or via a patio and a window-shading system (darkening the windows either by blinds or curtains)
- rules regarding use of facilities, whether pets are allowed, restrictions for smokers, and areas of the property where access is restricted
- instructions for electrical appliances
- information (either in paper or electronic form) about nearby shops, restaurants, parking, medical services, public transport
- Complaints and Claims book and sign (on wall)
- a contact number to answer questions or issues regarding the property
- car parking facilities should be within 300 metres of the property, otherwise the owner must provide free parking
- the property should be cleaned prior to the arrival, and after the departure, of new customers
- all holidaymakers must present their identification document (passport or NIE) on arrival at the property, so that the homeowner can register their data (legal requirement)
- arrival and departure times will be agreed by the homeowner and the renter, otherwise the arrival time will be at 16:00 and departure time at 12:00.
- the advertised price must be per night (no minimum stay) and must include water, electricity, cleaning and bedding