Apartments on the Canary Islands: The number of records ensures rental frustration!

Apartments on the Canary Islands: The number of records ensures rental frustration!

Teneriffa, Spanien - The Canary Islands have a remarkable increase in holiday apartments. According to current reports, almost 50,000 apartments are registered on the islands in May 2025. This corresponds to an increase of 6.4 percent compared to the same month, such as Tenerife News . These figures come from the Canary Institute for Statistics (ISTAC), which plans statistics on capacity, utilization and profitability of holiday apartments every month.

In April 2023, more than 49,800 apartments were counted, with the island of Tenerife playing the largest share with 41 percent. Gran Canaria follows 22 percent, Lanzarote with 16 percent and Fuerteventura with 13 percent. According to the ISTAC, beds were available in apartments in April 207,968, which is an increase in the number of beds by 4 percent compared to the previous year.

challenges for residents

The high demand for holiday apartments poses challenges for the Canary Islands. There is growing frustration among residents over rising rents and low income. Many see the apartments as one of the main causes for the lack of affordable living space for the monthly rent. While 45,169 holiday apartments recorded at least one booking in April, the accommodations offered via digital platforms achieve an occupancy rate of 91 percent, which indicates a persistently high tourist influx.

The Canary Islands, consisting of Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma and Gran Canaria, are not only geologically part of Africa, but also an autonomous community in Spain. Her location in front of the northwest coast of Africa ensures a mildly mild climate that attracts around 15 million tourist arrivals annually. According to Statista , the Canary Islands are the second most popular holiday destination in Spain, with Tenerife being the most popular island ahead of Gran Canaria and Lanzarote.

economic importance of tourism

Tourist expenses in the Canary Islands amounted to 20.3 billion euros in 2023. This makes the Canaries the Spanish target region with the second highest economic power in tourism, only behind Catalonia. The majority of tourists come from Germany, followed by travelers from the United Kingdom. In addition, vacationers in holiday apartments or houses enjoy a longer length of stay compared to hotel guests, with an average stay of 3.4 days.

Fuerteventura is known for its long sandy beaches and offers numerous water sports, while the scenic regions of Tenerife, Lanzarote, La Palma and Gran Canaria are very popular with hikers. Especially the carnival in Santa Cruz on Tenerife attracts thousands of visitors every year and enriches the cultural diversity of the islands.