Motorhomes: same right to park, but with fine print

Motorhomes can now park in cities like any other vehicle

A recurring image on the coast: a row of motorhomes takes over a supermarket's free car park all summer long. Locals view it with suspicion; users see it as a right. Now, an amendment to Spain's General Traffic Regulations published in the BOE (official state gazette) settles the controversy: motorhomes can park in cities without discrimination compared to other vehicles.

The news, reported by Aseicar (a sector association), has been met with divided opinions. On one hand, supporters celebrate the end of legal uncertainty: until now, many local councils banned or fined motorhome parking on dubious grounds. On the other, some see the measure as opening the door to indefinite parking and the use of motorhomes as covert housing, already a growing phenomenon in tourist areas.

Right to park, but with caveats

The key lies in how the new text is interpreted. The Regulations state that local councils cannot discriminate against motorhomes compared to other vehicles. However, as some analyses point out, the change also recognises motorhomes as a specific type of vehicle, which allows councils to create particular rules — for example, limiting maximum parking time or banning it on certain streets — as long as they are not discriminatory. In other words, they cannot say "don't park here because you're motorhomes", but they can say "no vehicle may stay longer than 24 hours" or "this street is reserved for residents".

Between housing and tourism

The underlying debate is the housing crisis. As the discussion reflects, for some people the motorhome has become the only option for having a roof of their own, even if it's on wheels. But that need clashes with urban coexistence: when a vehicle over seven metres long settles into the same spot for weeks, the street ceases to be public space for rotating use and becomes an extension of someone's home.

The BOE talks about equality: non-discrimination. But the fine print leaves room for each council to decide how to manage the phenomenon. The unsettling fact: the rule presented as a victory for some may be the perfect excuse for others to tighten the screws. In the end, it will be local ordinances that dictate reality.