Rental licence Spain: what the region requires, and what 2025 added
Let a Spanish property short-term and since 2025 you need two permissions, not one. And since April 2025 the owners' association can say no.
In short
Who grants the licence?
The autonomous region, not Madrid. Each region has its own tourism act and its own Registro de Turismo. Several also require a report from the municipality.
What changed in July 2025?
A national registration number, issued through the Registradores de la Propiedad. Without it no platform may list the property. It does not replace the regional licence.
Can the building block it?
Yes. Since 3 April 2025 three fifths of owners, holding three fifths of the shares, is enough.
Do I need a rental licence to let a Spanish property short-term?
Yes, and since 2025 you need two things. The tourist rental licence is granted by the autonomous region, not by central government: each region has its own tourism act and its own Registro de Turismo, and several also require a planning compatibility report from the municipality. Since 1 July 2025 a national registration number is compulsory on top, issued through the Registradores de la Propiedad under Real Decreto 1312/2024; without it a property may not be advertised on any online platform, and since 20 May 2026 EU Regulation 2024/1028 requires the number to be visible in the listing itself. The number does not replace the regional licence. On top of that, since 3 April 2025 the owners' association can prohibit new short-term letting by three fifths of owners and shares. Buy to let, and both questions belong before the private contract, not after.
Who grants the rental licence — and why Madrid does not
Tourism is a matter for the autonomous regions. Each has its own tourism act, its own Registro de Turismo and its own requirements on fittings, registration and guest reporting. The housing ministry in Madrid keeps only a directory of the competent bodies and points to the region for the licence itself.
In several regions the municipality is involved as well: without a favourable planning compatibility report there is no entry in the Registro de Turismo. What applies on Mallorca does not apply on Tenerife — and what applies in Dénia does not apply in València.
The national registration number, compulsory since 1 July 2025
Since 1 July 2025 a second number is compulsory. The legal basis is Real Decreto 1312/2024 of 23 December 2024, in force since 2 January 2025. It is issued through the Registradores de la Propiedad and attaches to the property: one number per unit for each type of letting.
Without it, a property may not be advertised on any online platform. Since 20 May 2026 EU Regulation 2024/1028 additionally requires the number to be visible in the listing itself. It does not replace the regional licence — it sits on top of it.
What each region requires
This moves quickly. What follows is the position on 13 September 2026, each point with the statute it rests on. Before buying, check the current position with both the region and the municipality.
Balearics: no new places in apartment buildings
Decreto Ley 4/2025 of 11 April 2025, confirmed by parliament in May 2025: no new tourist places are granted for flats in apartment buildings. New places arise only in exchange for places taken out of use. Financing there: Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
Canary Islands: 80 to 90 per cent stays residential
Ley 6/2025 of 10 December 2025: at least 80 per cent of residential capacity is reserved for the housing market, rising to 90 per cent on the more tourism-heavy islands. There are also exclusions in protected areas and for subsidised housing, plus a minimum age for the property. Existing licences are recognised. Financing there: Canary Islands.
Valencia and the Costa Blanca: municipal report, five-year registration
Decreto-ley 9/2024 of 2 August 2024: no entry without a favourable compatibility report from the municipality, and the entry runs for five years. Properties registered before 7 August 2024 are extended to August 2029. The city of València suspended new grants and extended that suspension for a further year on 23 April 2025. Financing there: Costa Blanca.
Catalonia: a licence in 262 municipalities, Barcelona letting them lapse
Decreto-ley 3/2023 of 7 November 2023: in 262 municipalities a prior planning licence is required, valid for five years, with a cap of ten holiday lets per 100 inhabitants. Existing stock must be relicensed within five years. Barcelona has announced it will not renew licences. Financing there: Barcelona and Costa Brava.
Andalusia: caps per building or zone, no regional freeze
Decreto 31/2024 of 29 January 2024: municipalities may set proportionate caps per building, sector or zone. There is no region-wide freeze. Financing there: Costa del Sol and Málaga.
The owners' association can say no — since 3 April 2025
Ley Orgánica 1/2025 amended Article 17.12 of the Spanish horizontal property act; the new rule applies from 3 April 2025. New short-term letting now requires the consent of three fifths of owners holding three fifths of the shares. Previously a change to the statutes was needed.
For a purchase this means one thing: the minutes of the last owners' meeting belong among the documents you read before the private contract. Where that sits in the sequence is set out under the buying process in Spain.
Does the licence pass to the buyer on a sale?
The national registration number attaches to the property. The regional licence follows regional law, and there is no single Spain-wide rule. In Andalusia, for example, the entry survives a change of operator — but the new operator must file their own declaración responsable and report any change to the Registro de Turismo.
So if you are buying a property with a licence, get written confirmation of exactly what transfers before the private contract. From the region, not from the seller.
What we do not claim about the effect on value
You will often read that an existing rental licence raises the value or makes a property easier to sell. We found no reliable source for that: no study, no valuation institute, no official analysis. What we found were agent and provider blogs with no underlying data.
So that claim is not made here. What can be evidenced is set out above. The rest would be guesswork. What the bank lends follows the valuation — see tasación and lending value.
Related pages
Tasación and lending value
Why the bank lends against the lower of purchase price and valuation — and what the gap costs.
Purchase costs in Spain
What comes on top of the purchase price and has to be paid from your own funds.
The buying process in Spain
The order in which documents, valuation and contract come together.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need the licence if I only let to friends?
Is the national registration number enough on its own?
What happens without the registration number?
Can the owners' association ban letting after the event?
Does a licence change what the bank will lend?
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