In an effort to address rising housing costs and urban displacement, Representative Mariana Casillas Guerrero has introduced a reform initiative aimed at regulating short-term rental platforms like Airbnb and imposing a tax on uninhabited homes across Jalisco.
Speaking at a press conference alongside her technical team and members of civil society, Casillas Guerrero highlighted the impact of the short-term rental boom: rising rents, the displacement of longtime residents to the urban fringe, and the conversion of neighborhoods into high-traffic tourist zones.
Jalisco currently has more than 450,000 vacant homes, while Guadalajara continues to face a serious housing shortage. In response, the proposal calls for the creation of a statewide registry of properties used for short-term rentals and the platforms that manage them.
Key components of the proposal include:
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Land use licenses specific to short-term rentals
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Civil liability insurance requirements
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Zoning-based limits on the number of operating units
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A cap on the number of rental nights per year for each property
According to Casillas Guerrero, these measures are designed to protect neighborhood integrity, equip municipalities with enforcement tools, and provide legal clarity for residents, property owners, and local authorities alike.
The initiative also introduces a tax on uninhabited homes, excluding those that are vacant for justified reasons or owned by individuals with fewer than three empty properties. The aim is to curb speculative real estate practices and bring more housing into the market.
“A city should not be treated as a commodity,” said Casillas Guerrero. “It should be a shared space where everyone has the right to live with dignity.”
She emphasized that the proposal targets large-scale speculation and not individuals occasionally renting out a room or property.
“This isn’t just about one platform or a single tax,” she concluded. “It’s about deciding what kind of city we want to build in Jalisco.”