Quintana Roo Moves to Curb Vacation Rentals Amid Housing Crisis

Quintana Roo, Mexico — The unchecked growth of digital vacation rental platforms must be addressed not only as a fiscal issue but as an urgent measure to safeguard housing access, prevent labor exploitation, and preserve the image of Quintana Roo’s tourist destinations. This warning came from David Ortiz Mena, president of the Mexican Caribbean Hotel Council, during a public appeal to impose limits on short-term rentals, which he argued have profoundly disrupted the social and urban fabric of municipalities like Tulum.

A Crisis of Housing and Labor

Ortiz Mena, who also leads the Tulum Hotel Association, emphasized that the rapid expansion of vacation rentals has fueled land speculation, driven up housing costs, and transformed neighborhoods once inhabited by locals into areas dominated by empty apartments rented to tourists.

“Our state already faces housing shortages, making it difficult for workers to settle here,” he stated. “For years, a significant portion of new housing and apartments built in the state have been designed for vacation rentals, worsening the problem. The speculation driven by this activity inflates land prices, not just in tourist zones.”

The disparity between traditional hotel development and digital rental platforms is stark. While Quintana Roo’s hotels have added approximately 130,000 rooms over nearly 50 years, platforms like Airbnb and similar services now list over 50,000 properties in just a decade. Ortiz Mena described this trend as “unsustainable” without proper regulation.

Tulum’s Overdevelopment Dilemma

Tulum has been particularly affected by the uncontrolled spread of vacation rentals. Ortiz Mena argued that land speculation linked to these platforms has led to excessive construction of tourist housing, creating an oversupply that has stalled new investments and given the impression of stagnation despite strong tourist numbers.

He stressed that regulation should go beyond enforcing tax compliance and include measures to prevent housing hoarding and market concentration.

“In many other countries, these rentals are maintained as originally intended—a way for homeowners to earn extra income by renting out their property during certain times of the year,” he explained.

Labor and Safety Concerns

Ortiz Mena also raised concerns about labor conditions, noting that unlike hotels, which employ staff with legal benefits, vacation rentals often rely on workers without clear labor protections or social security.

“This directly impacts the quality of life for tourism workers and poses risks for visitors, as many of these rentals lack basic safety standards or are located in areas unsuitable for tourists,” he warned.

A Call for Comprehensive Regulation

The hotel leader urged state and municipal authorities to take decisive action in regulating digital lodging platforms, ensuring that policies address not only fiscal matters but also social, urban, and labor concerns.

“Tourism is the state’s main economic activity and should promote collective well-being, not just individual profits at the expense of the community,” he concluded.