Former Minister Evarist Bartolo calls out unregulated Airbnbs as tourism tensions rise

Former Labour Minister Evarist Bartolo has criticised unregulated Airbnbs, raising concerns over official data as tourism-related tensions escalate.

Citing a 2019 Central Bank report, Mr Bartolo highlighted that 8,761 short‑let apartments in Malta and Gozo were being rented to tourists at the time. By comparison, the Tourism Authority’s data reports only 6,000 apartments operating with a permit.

“Is it possible that in six years, the number of apartments decreased rather than increased?” Bartolo asked, also highlighting other issues that have been increasingly drawing public concern.

Residents in Swieqi have recently expressed growing frustration over noise disturbances, waste mismanagement and a lack of accountability for visitors’ behaviour. In recent weeks, a petition was even launched calling for tighter regulation and stricter enforcement of rules governing short-term rentals in Malta.

The Facebook post featured an image showing two men pulling down their pants near midnight, originally shared by Jordan Galea Pace, the vice-mayor of Swieqi. Mr Bartolo quoted Mr Galea Pace in his post, who said: “Enough is enough” and urged that “the authorities must take action.”

“Meanwhile, residents in different parts of Swieqi last night suffered another disturbed night from adolescent tourists singing and causing noise in the streets, the balconies and the rooftops,” Mr Bartolo said.

He also revealed that 364 short-let apartments in Swieqi are currently hosting around 2,000 tourists.

“And these are just the ones that have a permit,” he continued. “How many short- and long-let apartments are operating without a permit?”

Mr Bartolo also highlighted statistics from the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), which reported that 10,000 apartments are being marketed for rental, with 4,000 operating illegally.

“Apart from disturbing the lives of their neighbours, thousands are also avoiding taxes,” he added, referencing a separate national issue after Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said the Government was intensifying its crackdown on tax evasion last week.

He further cited a government statement from April, which outlined a method for identifying illegal operators and imposing fines of €23,000 each.

“How many illegal apartment owners have been caught and fined in the past five months?” he asked.

Featured Image: Evarist Bartolo / Jordan Galea Pace