In the coming days, the Mexico City Congress is set to review the proposed Fair and Affordable Rent Law. This legislation has the potential to significantly reshape how the capital approaches temporary rentals in the years ahead, addressing the evolving economic, social, and cultural dynamics of the city.
Beyond the Hotelier vs. Host Divide: A Holistic Approach
While some have framed the debate as a false conflict between hoteliers and temporary accommodation hosts, the true objective is to construct a city model where housing and tourism are mutually reinforcing, not competing. The contemporary landscape of tourism in Mexico City extends beyond leisure, encompassing health-related travel, temporary work assignments, artistic residencies, academic mobility, and support for care processes.
These diverse needs demand flexible, secure, and regulated alternatives that coexist with permanent housing, enabling the city to adapt to an increasingly varied ecosystem. The new Fair Rent Law, based on current information, is expected to have a substantial impact on temporary accommodation providers. Although initial working meetings were held with a group referred to as ‘Bando 1,’ the specific details of how these agreements will be incorporated into the final legislation remain unclear. However, the ‘United for Hospitality Front’ expresses confidence that the process will result in a balanced framework, acknowledging the economic and social contributions of the sector and facilitating the city’s progression towards modern, orderly, and equitable regulation.
Community Hospitality: A Path to Redistribution
Well-regulated community hospitality, with clear guidelines, offers a genuine opportunity for wealth redistribution. For every property registered as temporary accommodation, up to 3.5 direct, indirect, and induced jobs are generated. Contrary to popular misconceptions, hosts are not only paying taxes; they are paying more. The Lodging Tax (ISH) applied to temporary stays is 1.5 times higher than that paid by other lodging models. Harmonizing the ISH across the entire sector, according to estimates from the Ministry of Finance, could generate an additional 850 million pesos annually, earmarked for urgent social needs, including affordable housing.
This represents a clear stance of fiscal co-responsibility, not a demand for privileges. Furthermore, proposals include creating a professional certification for hosts in collaboration with universities, strengthening the Tenant Rights Ombudsman with free mediation and representation, imposing expulsion from the registry for those engaging in illegal evictions, and exploring innovative models such as tourism-housing cooperatives, where residents and communities become co-owners of hybrid projects combining permanent housing and regulated lodging.
Mexico City: A Global Leader in Sustainable Tourism?
As Mexico City looks towards the 2026 World Cup, it has the opportunity to become a global benchmark for sustainable, community-based, and decolonial tourism, capable of coexisting with a fair and modern housing policy. The challenge is not to oppose regulation, but to establish clear rules that ensure accessible housing and allow tourism to remain an economic driver. Mexico City can achieve this balance if the legislative process genuinely considers all stakeholders.
The city stands at a crossroads, with the proposed law offering a chance to lead by example in urban planning and social equity. The outcome will depend on the willingness of lawmakers to engage in a comprehensive dialogue that transcends narrow interests and embraces a vision of an inclusive and thriving metropolis. Will Mexico City seize this moment to set a new standard for urban development, where the benefits of tourism are shared widely, and the right to housing is protected for all its residents?
Source: https://heraldodemexico.com.mx/opinion/2025/12/12/rentas-justas-para-la-cdmx-el-reto-de-regular-vivienda-combinar-turismo-con-reglas-que-integren-todos-751996.html
