New Law on Short-Term Rentals in Spain: What Homeowners Need to Know
- nerjawithsanna
- May 7
- 2 min read
Starting April 3, 2025, a new national law in Spain will introduce new rules for renting out properties as short-term or tourist rentals. While it may add a few extra steps, it also creates a great opportunity for many communities to increase property value and offer a clear, attractive selling point by allowing rentals in a controlled and well-managed way.
When done right, the potential downsides, like noise or over-tourism, can be minimized, and the benefits shared by all homeowners.
1. Short-Term vs. Long-Term Rentals: What’s the Difference?
Short-term rental (also called tourist rental): renting your property for days or weeks, typically on platforms like Airbnb or Booking.com. These stays are usually under 30 days.
Long-term rental: renting your property for months or years to a tenant with a standard residential contract. This kind of rental is not affected by the new law.
Important:
The new rules apply only to short-term/tourist rentals, long-term renting is still allowed without needing approval from the community.
2. You’ll Need Approval From Your Community of Neighbors
If you want to rent your property short-term, your building or urbanization must approve it first.
A vote must be held, and the decision must pass with at least 3/5 of the owners and shares.
Without that vote, you can’t register your home for tourist rental.
3. A One-Time Vote Can Make Things Easier
Communities can vote once to allow or ban short-term rentals in general. If approved:
Each homeowner won’t need a separate vote.
You just submit the official meeting record (acta) when registering your rental.
If there’s no general rule, each owner must request and win their own vote, a messy process in large communities.
4. Already Renting? You May Be Protected
If you’re already renting and legally registered before April 3, 2025, you may be allowed to continue under a “grandfather clause.”
You’ll need proof that your rental was legally registered before the new rules.
If your rental was informal or unregistered, you may have to stop.
5. New Registration Requirements
To register a tourist rental in the future, you’ll need:
A copy of the community vote approving short-term rentals.
Confirmation that the 3/5 majority was met.
Meeting details (date, attendees, vote results).
All of this will be submitted through a new Digital Platform the government is launching.
Why This Law Exists?
The goal is to reduce the downsides of tourist rentals:
Higher housing prices for locals
Noise and neighbor complaints
Over-tourism in residential areas
Thinking of Buying a Property in Spain?
Whether you’re planning to live, rent long-term, or use it as a vacation home, rules like this matter more than ever.
Before you buy, it’s smart to have someone on your side who understands the law, negotiates better prices, and protects your interests.
We offer a unique property shopping service to help buyers find the right home in the right area, and avoid costly mistakes.
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