Holiday Rentals on the Costa Blanca: Licence & Rules
Buying a place on the Costa Blanca, using it for a few weeks a year and letting it out the rest of the time is a plan many overseas buyers share. It can work, but short-term letting in Spain has become noticeably more regulated in recent years. This guide walks you through the situation in 2026: how the tourist licence works, what your community of owners can say, what you owe your guests and the tax office, and how the day-to-day side gets done.
> This is general information. Rules change frequently and differ between towns. Before buying or starting to let, speak to a Spanish lawyer (abogado) or tax adviser (asesor fiscal), and always check the current rules with the local town hall.
What counts as a tourist rental
Spain distinguishes between ordinary residential lets (long-term, covered by the national tenancy law), seasonal lets, and tourist rentals: a property offered regularly for short holiday stays, usually via booking platforms. Tourist rentals fall under the tourism rules of each autonomous region. The Costa Blanca lies in the Comunitat Valenciana, so Valencian regulations apply. If you buy just across the border in the Región de Murcia, around the Mar Menor for example, Murcian rules apply and the details differ.
For buyers used to the UK or Ireland, the key difference is that you cannot simply list your flat online. The property has to be entered in the tourism register, and that registration number must appear in every listing.
The tourist licence in the Comunitat Valenciana
Registering with the tourism register
The property is registered with the Registro de Turismo de la Comunitat Valenciana and receives a number, informally called a "VT licence". Typical requirements include documents showing the property meets habitability and equipment standards and, increasingly, confirmation from the town hall that tourist use is compatible with local planning rules.
Tighter rules from 2024–2025
Between late 2024 and 2025 the regional government tightened the regime for tourist homes. The direction is clear: more inspections, a stronger role for town halls, stricter technical and paperwork requirements, and periodic review of registrations. Specific details such as required documents, validity periods and fines may still be adjusted, so do not rely on older checklists.
Local restrictions
Town halls can restrict or pause new authorisations in certain areas, typically old town centres or neighbourhoods with many holiday lets. Some towns have introduced temporary moratoriums. So before buying a property with letting in mind, ask the town hall (ayuntamiento) whether a new registration is realistic at that address. It is one of the most important questions in the whole process.
Your community of owners
Following the reform of the Horizontal Property Law (Ley de Propiedad Horizontal) that came into force in 2025, a community of owners can require approval by a qualified majority before a flat starts operating as a tourist rental. Community statutes may also contain restrictions. Properties that were legally operating beforehand are, in principle, in a different position, but this is worth checking with a lawyer. When buying, ask for the community statutes and recent meeting minutes.
The national short-term rental register
Since 2025 Spain has also run a national register for short-term rentals, the Registro Único de Arrendamientos. It issues a number that booking platforms require before publishing a listing. This is an extra step alongside the regional register, not a replacement. As the system is new, check the up-to-date requirements before advertising.
Your obligations as an owner
Guest registration
Tourist accommodation must report guest details to the authorities. Since late 2024 more information is required and it is submitted electronically. In practice you collect ID documents and additional details at every check-in and file them on time. Failing to do so can lead to fines, so it is worth automating or delegating.
Non-resident tax: modelo 210
If you are not tax resident in Spain, rental income is taxed under Non-Resident Income Tax, declared on modelo 210. Some general principles:
- residents of the EU/EEA can usually deduct expenses linked to the rental and pay a lower rate,
- residents outside the EU (which since Brexit includes UK residents) are generally taxed on gross income with no deductions and at a higher rate,
- for periods when the property is not let, non-residents usually still pay tax on a deemed (imputed) income,
- rental returns are filed periodically; your adviser will confirm the deadlines.
Your home country may also tax this income, with relief depending on the relevant double tax treaty. Check current rates with an adviser.
Insurance and safety
Standard home insurance often excludes tourist letting. You need a policy that specifically covers holiday rental use and civil liability towards guests. Add to that the required basic equipment, guest information, emergency numbers and the official complaints forms (hojas de reclamaciones).
Day-to-day management
The licence is only the start. A holiday rental is effectively a small hospitality business.
Cleaning and laundry
Every changeover means cleaning, fresh bed linen and towels, and restocking the basics. In high season changeovers can be every few days, often at weekends. If you live abroad, a trusted person on the spot is essential.
Check-in and guest contact
Flights land at all hours and are sometimes delayed. Someone has to hand over keys or manage a smart lock, collect the details needed for registration, answer questions and sort out problems such as a broken air conditioner.
Pricing and calendar
Prices on the Costa Blanca swing strongly with the seasons: summer, Easter and bank holidays look nothing like November. Smart pricing and minimum stays affect occupancy, but nobody can promise a specific income. It depends on location, quality, reviews, competition and regulation.
| Task | Managing it yourself from abroad | With a management company |
|---|---|---|
| Guest registration | track every booking | usually included |
| Cleaning and laundry | need someone local | organised |
| Repairs | hard from a distance | local response |
| Pricing and calendar | time-consuming | agreed together |
Before you buy to let
- ask the town hall whether a registration is possible in that area,
- read the community statutes and any resolutions on tourist lets,
- if the property already has a number, check it is valid and what happens to it after the sale,
- budget for all costs: community fees, IBI, insurance, utilities, cleaning, platform commissions and taxes,
- treat rental income as a bonus, not a guaranteed return.
For the wider picture, see our guides to the costs of buying property in Spain and to getting your NIE number.
Let CasaAqui handle your rental
CasaAqui Costa offers full holiday rental management: guest check-in, cleaning and property management. We currently look after around 30 apartments on the Costa Blanca. We can also help you choose a property where letting makes sense from a regulatory point of view. Browse our listings at casaaqui.eu or message us on WhatsApp: +34 652 899 274.