Illegal tourist apartments in Seville have had their water supplies switched off (Image: Getty) A council in a Spanish city popular with tourists has been granted the permission to cut off water for "illegal" tourist apartments as tensions over overtourism mount. Six holiday lets have already lost their mains water supply, but the authorities in Seville claim that there could be as many as 5,000 illegal apartments – in addition to the 10,000 that have been granted licences. The move has led to grave concerns for the flats' owners – many of who are based in the US.
The water will only be switched back on, officials say, once the owners can demonstrate that the apartments are being used as legitimate residences. The drastic move is unlikely to be repeated in other Spanish tourist hubs. But residents of cities such as Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia have complained that rents are being driven sky-high by demand from overseas visitors and massively reducing the available housing stock for locals.
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