Britons face fines for renting out their Majorca flats online

BRITONS face being turned away from holiday apartments at Spanish island resorts after authorities vowed to fine owners who illegally let properties.

Owners on Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera face fines of up to 40,000 euros (£36,000) if they let to tourists.

The fines, introduced this week, have made many homeowners withdraw their properties from the tourist market.

Travel agents or websites, such as Airbnb and HomeAway, face even bigger fines of up to 400,000 euros (£360,000) if they are caught promoting flats to rent on the islands.

Yesterday the Balearic Association of Temporary Rental Homes and Apartments (Aptur) said it had warned its members to stop renting flats to tourists immediately.

Aptur said the fines were unfair on holidaymakers who had already paid for trips and air tickets.The regional government claimed the practice of allowing tourists to rent flats was destroying town centres and driving up prices for locals and seasonal workers.

Some 15,000 properties in Majorca have a tourism licence but thousands more are rented illegally.