Spain-hol warning

[costa-brava]

I got this email from Spain Holiday yesterday.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Regional government states that your license number is incorrect‏
It looked like a circular rather than a specific situation but I have found a property that we sold still showing in their site. Perhaps that's it but they still haven't come back with an answer.
Has anybody else got this message.
One thing it does show is that the Generalitat are piling on the pressure on the listing sites.
What annoys me is that there are loads of adverts in SH and all the other listing sites that do not display any license number while mine all do.

[costa-brava]

Here is a link to all the 40,000 or so properties that are registered in Catalunya. You can check for your own property or you can spy on your neighbours.
The easiest way is to go to the search function down the left side. Just put in the bare street name in the CERCA AVANCADA section. If it is Carrer de la Costa Brava, just put Costa Brava and you'll get the complete list of registered properties with that street name. It also gives basic details of the owner or agent.
http://www14.gencat.cat/rtcwebguies/App ... ?pst=5&lg=

[Casscat]

I haven't had that email, and my registration number is displayed in my ad. I am so up front with my registration and payment of taxes that I ought to be officially declared a saint

[kevsboredagain]

Here is a link to all the 40,000 or so properties that are registered in Catalunya.

I would be really p***d off if I appeared on a list like that. All the email addresses are fully open to be harvested by spammers, and all of those people will gradually see their received spam increasing.

The number of privately owned places in that list seems to be very small.

[costa-brava]

Yeah but he! he! Your commission based enquirers can search for your HUT number in the official list (to check authenticity of course) and that way they can access your email for direct contact.
I think, Kevsbored, that it does in fact contravene the Disclosure of Information laws but there is no way to escape it. If you rent in Catalunya you must be registered and if you're registered you are on the list. It's not optional.
And you must show your HUT number in all advertising. One of mine in SH was showing as HUTG-000923 and the correct number is HUTG-000924. That seems to be why I got the email and it's fixed now.
I'm now waiting to see if they delete the more than 50% of adverts that don't have any number at all. I believe September 15 is the magic date.

[kevsboredagain]

Yeah but he! he! Your commission based enquirers can search for your HUT number in the official list (to check authenticity of course) and that way they can access your email for direct contact.

You give them way too much credit lol

[costa-brava]

I've got a family arriving tomorrow who did just that. I could tell from their questions that they'd never do an instant booking so I suggested they check out the official number. They phoned a few hours later then emailed and the booking's in the bag.
I never try to re-route anybody who looks like booking online. But more than half of the enquiries I get are clearly looking for a direct contact and after three or four exchanges you know you're not going to get an online booking.
The system of registration has been in place now for a couple of years but the searchable list has only been a few weeks. I think it will bring a little extra business especially from Spanish people who are getting more aware of the system. Anybody with any sense is going to Google the Hut number before they book.
But there are still many owners who have not registered or haven't bothered to put their number in their ads. The Catalan government are slowly catching up and they're getting teeth. Once a property is registered they get the tourist tax (45 cents P/P per day) and once registered the owner HAS TO declare earnings. Add to that the fact that the fines are hefty then there's a lot of incentive for them to clamp down.