The Canary Islands have seen a sharp decline in the availability of residential rental properties, with 8,676 homes disappearing between 2018 and 2025. This represents a significant 32.6% drop in listings on the real estate platform Idealista, which saw a reduction from 26,564 rentals in 2018 to just 17,888 by 2026.
This trend mirrors a national decrease in Spain, where long-term rental listings fell by 44%, from 902,664 to 510,091 during the same period. However, the decline within the Canary Islands varies by province and urban area.
The province of Las Palmas was particularly affected, with a loss of 7,746 rental properties, decreasing from 16,596 in 2018 to 8,850 by 2025—an alarming reduction of nearly 46.7%. In contrast, Santa Cruz de Tenerife experienced a smaller but steady decline, losing 930 rentals, down from 9,968 to 9,038, a 9.3% fall.
Looking at the capital cities, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria saw a drastic reduction, plummeting from 9,939 available rentals in 2018 to just 4,469 in 2025, marking a loss of 5,470 homes (55%). Santa Cruz de Tenerife also faced a notable decline, with 1,217 fewer homes available, down from 3,360 to 2,143 (36.2%).
On a broader scale, Madrid led the national drop with a staggering 137,411 fewer rentals (54%), followed by Catalonia, which lost 124,582 (71%). In urban areas, Barcelona faced the most severe losses, with a staggering 83% decline from 113,853 to 19,723 listings. Conversely, La Rioja was the only region where rental availability increased, albeit modestly, by 282 listings.
The report, produced by Idealista, focuses solely on active long-term rental listings and does not include seasonal or room rental categories.
