How to Put Your Apartment on Airbnb in Nerja: Every Step You Need To Know
- Mar 25
- 5 min read
This is a multi-layer process, and more complex than most people expect. As of 2026, Spain has three regulatory layers stacked on top of each other: national, regional (AndalucĂa), and your building's community of owners. You need to clear all three.
Step 1: Check Your Community of Owners (Comunidad de Propietarios)
This is the very first thing to do, because if your community blocks you, nothing else matters.
Since April 3, 2025, you must prove your community actively allows short-term rentals. You need an official certificate from your building administrator and community president. No certificate means no legal short-term rental.
According to Article 17.12 of the Horizontal Property Law, a favorable vote of three fifths of the total owners, representing three fifths of the participation shares, is required to either approve or restrict tourist rentals.
Check whether tourist rentals have ever been explicitly prohibited in the community statutes or voted on at an AGM. If they have not, you will need to put it on the agenda, hold a vote, and get the outcome formally recorded in the minutes. This approval must also be registered with the Land Registry.
Step 2: Verify Your Property's Urban Compliance
Under Decreto 31/2024, the requirement to present a First Occupation License alongside the responsible declaration has been eliminated. Instead, the applicant must declare that the dwelling complies with urban planning regulations. It is strongly advised to obtain a certificate issued by an architect to confirm this compliance.
This is particularly relevant in Nerja, where older properties sometimes have grey-area status.
Step 3: Get Your Energy Performance Certificate (Certificado de Eficiencia Energética)
An Energy Performance Certificate is mandatory for all vacation rentals in Spain. It must be displayed in listings and included in contracts. Estimated cost is 100€ to 200€. You hire a certified energy assessor (técnico certificador) for this. If you bought your property recently, you’ll find this in the purchase documents. It’s valid for 10 years from the date it was issued.
Step 4: Make Sure the Apartment Meets Physical Requirements
As of 2025, holiday rental properties must meet specific minimum standards: an Occupancy Licence issued by the local council, direct ventilation in all rooms and effective window darkening systems such as blinds or shutters, heating available if rented October to April, and air conditioning if rented May to September. The property must be furnished and equipped for immediate use with adequate appliances, utensils, bedding, and towels. A complaints book (hoja de reclamaciones) for guests must be kept visibly on the premises.
You also need a Guest Information Folder with house rules, emergency contact numbers, and area information, plus a local contact person available in AndalucĂa.
Step 5: Get Civil Liability Insurance (Seguro de Responsabilidad Civil)
Liability insurance is required, and the registration number must be provided in all listings. Estimated cost is 150€ to 500€ per year. This is separate from Airbnb's own AirCover.
Step 6: Register with the Registro de Turismo de AndalucĂa and Get Your VFT Number
Since July 1, 2025, all requests must be processed exclusively through the new digital single window of the Junta de AndalucĂa. This system centralizes registration in the Andalusian Tourism Registry, generates the mandatory identification number (VUT/NRA), and handles documentary validation prior to the start of activity. You access it with a digital certificate or Cl@ve and must upload all required documents.
Your license number will follow the format VFT/MA/XXXXX (Vivienda con Fines TurĂsticos / Málaga / number).
Until your permanent VFT number is issued, you may be given a temporary CTC number, which allows you to start renting legally during the processing period.
Key documents typically required: community approval certificate, proof of ownership, community statutes, energy certificate, urban compliance declaration, and civil liability insurance.
Step 7: Get Your National Rental Registration Number (NRU)
Since July 1, 2025, all owners of tourist apartments are required to register their properties in the Unique Rental Registry (NRU) managed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda. Processing is done exclusively online through the Digital Single Window for Rentals, accessed with an electronic certificate such as DNI-e, Cl@ve, or a digital certificate.
You need both the NRU and the VFT license. The NRU does not replace AndalucĂa's VFT license, as the NRU is national and the VFT is regional.
The NRU process requires three key documents: the Unique Land Registry Code (CRU) from your Property Registry Nota Simple, the address and cadastral reference, and maximum occupancy.
The NRU has indefinite validity but requires automatic annual verification by the Property Registry to confirm the property remains operational and complies with regulations.
Step 8: Register on SES.Hospedajes (Guardia Civil Guest Reporting System)
Before you can report any stays, you must register your property on the SES.Hospedajes platform. Once approved, you will receive credentials allowing you to submit traveler data.
Spain's Royal Decree 933/2021 mandates that all holiday rental hosts collect comprehensive guest data and submit it through the SES.Hospedajes platform within 24 hours of check-in. Up to 21 fields of information are required, including payment methods and contact details.
Critically, Airbnb and other platforms do not report traveler data to SES.Hospedajes, so it is your legal responsibility. Fines for non-compliance range from 600€ to 30 000€.
Step 9: Sort Out Your Tax Obligations
You need to declare rental income. Spanish tax residents do so via IRPF. Non-residents must file under IRNR (Impuesto sobre la Renta de No Residentes). Either way, you will want a gestor to set this up. Register with the tax authority (Hacienda) via Modelo 036 or 037 as applicable.
Also worth noting: the Spanish government has proposed charging short-term tourist rentals the standard 21% VAT rate, which would bring them in line with hotels. This is not yet in force but worth monitoring.
AndalucĂa does not charge a tourist tax, though discussions are ongoing. Nerja currently has none, but check for updates.
Step 10: Create and Publish Your Airbnb Listing
Once you have your VFT number and NRU, you can list. Your NRU must appear clearly on all listings, advertisements, and marketing materials, including on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo, personal websites, and social media posts.
As of July 1, 2025, booking platforms are legally required to verify NRU numbers before publishing listings. Properties without valid NRU IDs face removal typically within 48 hours of detection.
Ongoing Obligations
Annual NRU activity report:
All owners must submit an annual activity report to the Property Registry. This report is mandatory even if the property had no guests during the year. The filing window is strictly during February each year.
SES.Hospedajes reporting:
Every guest, every stay, within 24 hours of check-in.
Keep your insurance and energy certificate current.
Monitor community decisions
If the community votes to restrict or ban rentals later, you could lose your ability to operate.
The Nerja-Specific Note Worth Flagging
Málaga city has imposed a three-year city-wide moratorium on all new tourist rental licences under Decree-Law 1/2025 of Andalusia. This applies to the city of Málaga, not to Nerja, which is a separate municipality.
Given how layered this has become since 2025, working with someone who knows Nerja specifically is the smartest move, particularly for the VFT application and the NRU, where small documentation errors cause real delays. If this all feels overwhelming, you can always turn to us and we at NerjaWithSanna are more than happy to help you.
