As part of the proposals to curb real estate speculation and gentrification in Jalisco, Representative Mariana Casillas Guerrero (Futuro Party) has introduced two reform initiatives to tax vacant homes and limit the use of properties on platforms like Airbnb.
According to the legislator, the region’s governments have boosted real estate investment, with a direct impact on the population’s quality of life. This has resulted in 450,000 vacant homes across the state, while in Guadalajara there are 95,000 families searching for affordable housing.
“Movimiento Ciudadano has governed Guadalajara as if it were a brand. They have made the territory a showcase for investment and the state its real estate developer. They have celebrated tourism as if it were development, ignoring the fact that behind it are displaced families and rising rents,” the representative commented at a press conference.
It is in this context that Casillas presented two proposals to counteract real estate speculation through a reform to the Jalisco Civil Code, which would add Chapter 4 on temporary housing and digital platforms. Likewise, a reform to the state’s Municipal Finance Law is proposed to tax uninhabited housing.
Tax on Uninhabited Properties
Juan Pablo Martínez, a member of the Technical Body of the Planning, Territorial Planning, and Water Management Commission of the Jalisco Congress, explained that one of the reforms proposes a 100% surcharge on the property tax for homes that are immediately habitable but have remained continuously and without just cause unoccupied for a period of more than one year.
Unless the owners can prove that their property is uninhabited due to a temporary relocation due to work, academic, or health commitments; legal disputes; or that it is affordable housing, the tax will be charged.
For individuals, the law will apply whenever they own more than three uninhabited homes; while real estate companies will be penalized starting with the first vacant property.
Limits on Airbnb
Among the proposals to prevent gentrification and control housing prices, Casillas also seeks a reform to limit the use of properties on platforms like Airbnb to 180 nights per year, similar to what was approved in Mexico City in 2024.
“Residential properties that are less than five years old will not be able to register on temporary accommodation platforms. In other words, all new homes built to be rented on Airbnb for the World Cup will not be able to be used in this way,” stated Martínez.
In addition, restrictions will be imposed in high-impact tourist areas; thus, houses and apartments in neighborhoods like La Americana, Moderna, and Obrera will only be able to be rented for 90 nights per year.
According to Representative Casillas, it is estimated that one in three homes in the Obrera neighborhood is used for tourist rentals through Airbnb, which reduces the number of traditional rental properties for local residents.
The penalties for non-compliance with these rules would be fines of 50 to 500 Units of Measurement and Update (UMAS) for owners, and 100 to 1,000 UMAS for platforms.
“The funds raised will be used to create municipal funds for social housing and the financing of public policies. What we are seeking is not to regulate small owners who add an apartment or an extra room, but rather the large owners who create entire towers,” Martínez stated.
Source: es-us.noticias.yahoo
