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GENERAL ENGLISH · BREAKING NEWS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SPANISH CITY TO
BAN HOLIDAY
RENTALS

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1 Warm-up

Have you stayed in a holiday rental, for example in a place booked through a website such as Airbnb?

2 Key vocabulary

Match the words on the left to the definitions on the right.

1. a rental a. a building that someone owns

2. a complaint b. a document signed by lots of people asking for action on a problem

3. a model c. an official document that allows you to do something

4. a licence d. an official rule that says people must not do or use something

5. a property e. a statement that shows someone is not satisfied with something

6. mainland f. a system that people should copy because it works well

7. a petition g. something that you pay money for to stay in for a period of time

8. a ban h. the part of a country that doesn’t include islands which belong to it

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SPANISH CITY TO BAN HOLIDAY RENTALS

3 Guess the answers

You are going to read an article about how the city of Palma is going to ban holiday rentals. Before you
read, guess the answers to the questions, then scan the text on page two to find the correct answers.

1. How many foreign tourists visited Spain in 2017?

a. 62 million b. 82 million c. 102 million

2. What was the growth in percentage of unlicensed tourist apartments in Spain from 2015 to 2017?

a. 10% b. 30% c. 50%

3. What percentage have rent long-term rental costs risen by in Palma since 2013?

a. 30% b. 40% c. 450%

4. Where will tourists still be allowed to stay after the ban?

a. in detached single-family homes

b. near the airport
c. in non-residential areas

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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)
SPANISH CITY TO BAN HOLIDAY RENTALS
Spain’s Palma to ban holiday rentals after complaints from
city residents
24th of April, 2018
1.
Palma, on the island of Majorca, is to become the
first Spanish city to ban flat owners from renting their
apartments to tourists.
2.
The capital of the popular island decided to introduce
the ban after complaints from residents about rising
rents, mainly caused by the number of tourists
renting apartments for a short time through websites
and apps.
3.
Palma’s mayor says that the ban, which will start in
July, will be a model for other cities that are struggling
with the effects of tourism.
4.
Studies show that the number of unlicensed tourist
apartments in Spain grew by 50% between 2015 and
2017. In Palma, which is the eighth largest Spanish
city by population, only 645 properties have the
proper short-term holiday rental licence.
5.
Although city officials say that tourism is mainly
responsible for rising rents, it is not the only cause.
Workers who commute from mainland Spain are also
a factor in the 40% rise in average rent since 2013.
Prices have risen as there are not many apartments
available to rent long-term, and more people that
want them.
6.
In contrast, business associations are warning that
the ban will have a financial impact on many families.
A local organisation for small businesses said that
holiday rentals had increased spending in the area,
and were an "important source of income" for many
flat owners. Another organisation said that it would
affect not only owners, but also restaurants and
shops, and warned that jobs might be lost.
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7.
José Hila, Palma’s chief of urban planning, said that
there was a clear connection between the growth in
the number of holiday rentals and the rise in rental
prices. He added: "There will be vacation rental in
Palma, but only where there needs to be."
8.
Visitors will only be able to stay in detached single-
family homes, as these will be exempt from the
ban. However, people will not be allowed to offer
apartments as holiday rentals if they are on protected
farmland, are close to the airport, or are in non-
residential areas. The city of Palma will be a "single
zone", where the ban will apply in every part of town.
Mayor Antoni Noguera said the decision is "to protect
residents."
9.
Studies show that 48% of tourist apartments are
offered for rent for seven to nine months in a year,
so few locals have the option to rent long-term.
10.
In 2017, Palma banned people from advertising non-
licensed flats, and announced huge fines for owners
and apps that broke the law. Barcelona took similar
action.
11.
A record 82 million foreign tourists visited Spain last
year, with Catalonia and the Balearic Islands the most
popular destinations.
12.
The ban announcement was welcomed by Joan
Forteza, the president of a Palma neighbourhood
federation, after a petition got more than 6,000
signatures.
Sources: BBC News, El Pais (English version)
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INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SPANISH CITY TO BAN HOLIDAY RENTALS

4 Checking understanding

Put ‘T’ (true) or ‘F’ (false) next to the statements below. Say why the false answers are not true.

1. Other Spanish cities have banned residents from renting their homes to tourists.
2. People that live in other parts of Spain also caused rental costs to rise on the island.
3. Local business associations think that the ban won’t have much impact on the city’s economy.
4. Almost half of the properties on the island can be rented any time during the year.
5. The city of Barcelona banned advertising of illegal short-term holiday apartment rentals.

5 Find the words

Find a word or phrase in the article which means ...

1. increasing cost of paying to live somewhere (two word phrase, P.2):

2. the biggest cause of something (two word phrase, P.5):
3. travel somewhere everyday to go to work verb, P.5):
4. an essential way to make money (five word phrase, P.6):
5. made people aware of a future problem (verb - ed, P.6):
6. a link that is easy to see (three word phrase, P.7):
7. where there are offices and factories but no houses (adj., P.8):
8. kept safe by law (adj., P.8):
9. affect a person or thing (verb, P.8):

6 Talking point

Discuss any of the questions below in pairs or small groups.

1. Do you agree with the ban? Why/why not?

2. Do you think that other cities will now also try to ban holiday rentals? Why/why not?
3. Does your home town or city have problems with tourism?
4. Do you think that the holiday rental industry will try to fight the ban? Why/why not?

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TEACHER MATERIALS · INTERMEDIATE (B1-B2)

SPANISH CITY TO BAN HOLIDAY RENTALS

Key
1. Warm-up

Encourage a short discussion.

2. Key vocabulary

1. g 2. e 3. f 4. c
5. a 6. h 7. b 8. d

3. Guess the answers

Students can work alone and check in pairs.

1. b 2. c 3. b 4. a

4. Checking understanding

1. F - Palma is the first Spanish city to do this.

2. T
3. F - They think that shops and restaurants could close and jobs might be lost.
4. F - 48% are available for 7-9 months of the year.
5. T - In 2017 they banned advertising of non-licensed flats.

5. Find the words

Students can work in pairs and check with the teacher.

1. rising rents 2. mainly responsible
3. commute 4. an important source of income
5. warned 6. a clear connection
7. non-residential 8. protected
9. apply

6. Talking point

Monitor the activity. Make a note of any errors and write useful vocabulary on the board.

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