The process, initiated in January 2024, suspended the issuance of compatibility reports after exceeding the 2,200 granted. Following a technical diagnosis, a participatory process, and two public exhibition periods, allegations and reports from other administrations have been incorporated. Areas affected by the Coastal Protection line have been excluded.
The new regulation is structured around the Territorial Vulnerability Indicator (IVT), which combines the pressure of tourist homes, the percentage of primary residences, and residential density. This allows each zone to be classified according to its risk, affecting the possibilities for implementing new VUTs.
Areas deemed vulnerable will not permit new VUTs, except for renovations linked to traditional architectural heritage. In high-risk areas, new homes are allowed if the residential pressure index does not exceed 4, while in medium-risk areas the limit is 8. Low-vulnerability zones offer more possibilities.
Among the zones where new VUTs cannot be implemented are the Traditional Historic Center, Clot de Mingot, Piteres, Carrer La Mar, Ensanche Avenida, and the Maritime Facade. At the other end, areas like Altea la Vella, Santa Clara, or Sierra de Altea Golf permit new implementations.
Implementation may also be conditioned by Coastal regulations in areas such as Mascarat Sur or Villa Gadea. Additionally, a maximum municipal limit of 12 VUTs per 100 homes is established.
The City Council highlights that the regulation has already reduced the number of VUTs, dropping from over 15 monthly new registrations post-pandemic to between 2 and 3. The total number of VUTs has decreased from 2,119 at the end of 2023 to 1,622 currently, a reduction of 23.45%. The Councilor for Urban Planning, Josep Orozco, states that the objective is to regulate tourist implementation with data and legal certainty, not to prohibit it.
Tourist homes now pay a waste collection fee of 364 euros, being considered an economic activity.
