Guide · Renting out
Holiday Rental Licence in the Valencia Region 2026: How to Check Rentability Before You Buy
By Ronny Steinhagen, co-founder of CASA READY · As of October 2026 · Reading time approx. 8 minutes
In short
If you want to let to holiday guests on the Costa Blanca, you need three approvals: the town hall certificate that tourist use is permitted at this address, the approval of the owners' association (mandatory for new holiday lets since April 2025) and registration in the tourism register of the Valencia region (valid for 5 years), whose number must appear in every listing. In most coastal towns in the south this is very feasible. In Alicante, El Campello and Altea new licences are currently suspended. The key is to check everything before buying.
The three approvals at a glance
Municipality
Certificate of urban planning compatibility (informe de compatibilidad urbanística). The town hall confirms that tourist use is allowed at exactly this address. Municipalities may limit the number of holiday lets per building or zone.
Owners' association
Since 3 April 2025 every new holiday let needs the prior express approval of the association: 3/5 of the owners, who also hold 3/5 of the shares. Properties already legally let before may continue.
Tourism register
Registration in the Registro de Turismo of the Valencia region by declaration (declaración responsable). It is valid for 5 years and must be renewed in the month before expiry. Required documents include the cadastral reference and the occupancy licence.
What counts as a holiday let
A holiday let (vivienda de uso turístico) is a complete property let to the same guest for no more than 10 consecutive days. Letting individual rooms is not allowed. Stays of 11 days or more are no longer tourist lets and fall under general tenancy law.
Checklist: what we check before buying
Most problems arise because someone buys a property and only then applies for the licence. For our properties we clarify these points beforehand:
- Municipality: is there a moratorium or a cap for the zone? Can the certificate be obtained for this address?
- Community statutes: do they allow or prohibit tourist use? For new builds: what has the developer set out in the statutes?
- Community resolutions: is there an approval, a ban or a surcharge on the community fees (up to 20%)?
- Occupancy licence: is the first-occupation or occupancy licence (licencia de ocupación) available? For new builds: when is it expected?
- Cadastral reference: does the property have its own individual cadastral number?
- Existing registration: is the property already registered? Until when is the registration valid?
- Furnishings: does the property meet the minimum requirements for holiday lets (equipment, safety, contact)?
- Numbers: does the investment also work without holiday letting, e.g. with long-term rental? That is your safety net.
Process after the purchase
- Apply for the town hall certificateright after purchase or completion
- Submit the association's approvalfor new holiday lets; minutes of the owners' meeting
- File the declaration with the tourism registerwith cadastral reference, occupancy licence and community certificate
- Publish listings with the registration numberset up guest registration and insurance
In our experience it takes a few weeks to a few months from application to the first guest, depending on the municipality. For new builds we plan it in parallel with completion.
Licensing in 16 holiday towns
Our status for the municipalities with the most holiday lets on the Costa Blanca. Details and occupancy per town are in the guide Holiday rental occupancy on the Costa Blanca.
| Town | Licence | Status October 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Dénia | restricted | No new compatibility certificates in the town centre; a plan from June 2026 gradually reduces holiday lets there (from 639 to about 344). Les Marines, Les Rotes and Montgó are exempt. |
| Jávea / Xàbia | restricted | Amendment 41 to the zoning plan (initially approved on 28 May 2026): a cap of 4,584 holiday lets, leaving only about 359 free places. |
| Moraira (Teulada) | open | No moratorium; the town council rejected a proposal for one. The general procedure of the Valencia region applies. |
| Calpe / Calp | open | No general moratorium. Only the conversion of commercial premises into holiday lets is suspended (two years). |
| Altea | suspended | New licences suspended since January 2024 while a new municipal ordinance is being drafted. |
| Benidorm | open | No moratorium. Since 2025 the town has carried out its own inspections and fines unregistered holiday lets. |
| Villajoyosa | restricted | A moratorium was considered but had not been approved by October 2025. Please check the current status with the town hall before buying. |
| El Campello | suspended | New licences suspended since September 2024, extended until at least September 2026. Only terraced bungalows without communal areas are exempt. |
| Alicante / Playa San Juan | suspended | City of Alicante: moratorium since 13 January 2025, upheld in court in February 2026, until January 2027 at the latest. Sant Joan d'Alacant: suspension since summer 2025. |
| Gran Alacant / Santa Pola | open | No moratorium (as of October 2025). There are political motions to limit supply. |
| Guardamar del Segura | restricted | Conflicting information: the press (10/2025) reports a moratorium for apartment blocks, an agency source (08/2026) reports further approvals. Please check with the town hall before buying. |
| Torrevieja | open | No moratorium known; licences are still being granted. |
| Orihuela Costa | open | No moratorium known. |
| Pilar de la Horadada / Mil Palmeras | open | No moratorium known. |
| Rojales (Ciudad Quesada) | unconfirmed | No moratorium found, but not officially confirmed. Please check with the town hall before buying. |
| San Miguel de Salinas | unconfirmed | No moratorium found, but not officially confirmed. Please check with the town hall before buying. |
“Open” means we found no moratorium. It is not a guarantee for a specific address; we check every property individually. The Murcia region has its own rules, which we also check case by case.
Buying a property with an existing licence
An already registered holiday let is attractive, but the registration does not automatically pass to the buyer: after a change of owner a new declaration to the tourism register is required. Three questions therefore matter:
- Until when is the existing registration valid, and has it been renewed under the new 2024 rules?
- Was the property already legally let before April 2025? Then it is protected vis-à-vis the owners' association.
- Has the municipality introduced a moratorium in the meantime? Then we clarify with the town hall before the purchase whether the new declaration will be accepted.
Ongoing obligations
- Number in the listing: the registration number of the regional tourism register must appear in every advert.
- Guest registration: the details of all guests are recorded and sent to the authorities (in practice the management company does this).
- Renewal: renew the tourism register entry in good time after 5 years.
- Taxes: as non-residents, EU citizens pay 19% on rental profit in Spain. What is left is shown by our yield calculator.
What happens without a licence
The region and more and more municipalities carry out active inspections. Benidorm, for example, took over enforcement itself in 2025 and fined unregistered properties. Under the Valencia region's tourism law, fines for serious breaches can reach six figures. On top of that, platforms report their listings to the authorities, so unregistered properties are quickly spotted.
Have the rentability checked before you buy
Do you have a property in mind that you want to let to holiday guests? Together with our team I check the licensing status for the exact address: municipality, community statutes and resolutions, existing registration. Free of charge and without obligation.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a licence to let my property in Spain to holiday guests?
Yes. In the Valencia region every holiday let must be entered in the tourism register. This requires the town hall certificate and, for new holiday lets, the approval of the owners' association. The registration number must appear in every listing.
How long is the holiday let registration valid?
Five years. Renewal must be applied for in the month before expiry. A change of owner requires a new declaration.
Can the owners' association prohibit holiday letting?
Since 3 April 2025 every new holiday let needs the prior express approval of the association with 3/5 of owners and shares. Without approval, registration is not possible. Properties already legally let before are protected.
Where on the Costa Blanca are licences still granted?
According to our status in October 2026, licences are still being granted in Torrevieja, Orihuela Costa, Pilar de la Horadada, Santa Pola/Gran Alacant, Benidorm, Calpe and Moraira, among others. In Alicante, El Campello and Altea new licences are suspended. For a specific address we check the situation before the purchase.
How long may a guest stay in a holiday let?
No more than 10 consecutive days. Longer stays no longer count as tourist lets but as normal tenancies.
Legal basis and sources
Valencia region: Decreto-ley 9/2024 of 2 August 2024 (in force since 8 August 2024), amending the tourism law Ley 15/2018.
Owners' association: Ley de Propiedad Horizontal, art. 7.3 and 17.12 and additional provision 2 as amended by Ley Orgánica 1/2025, in force since 3 April 2025.
Nationwide register: the Registro Único provisions of Real Decreto 1312/2024 were annulled by the Supreme Court in judgment 620/2026 of 19 May 2026 (press release).
Municipal licensing status: press and municipal sources, as of 12 October 2026. This guide is not legal advice and does not replace confirmation from the town hall for a specific address.