Malaga holiday rentals squeeze residents, locals say

Residents of Malaga say holiday rentals and mass tourism are pushing people out of central neighbourhoods, as housing affordability becomes a major issue before Spain's November 29 general election.

Malaga, a southern Spanish city of about 600,000 people, welcomed a record 1.83 million visitors in 2025. In some streets, nearly one in two homes is used for short-term tourist accommodation, according to Spain's national statistics institute INE.

The city had more than 8,000 tourist apartments last year, up 40 percent from 2020, making it Spain's second-largest market for this type of accommodation after Madrid and ahead of Barcelona. Rents in Malaga have more than doubled over the past decade.

Residents described the loss of neighbourhood life and said long-term tenants were being forced out. Property portal Idealista put the average October rent for a 50-square-metre apartment in Malaga at 835 euros, while Spain's average gross monthly salary is about 2,460 euros.

Deputy mayor for urban planning Carmen Casero Navarro acknowledged tensions caused by tourist apartments but said tourism also created economic opportunities. The city council, which is working to create 5,000 social housing units, approved a reform in July suspending new tourist rental licences for three years.