Tourist rental licenses

A vacation rental or tourist rental license is a permit granted by the Administration that authorizes the owner of a home to exploit it for tourist accommodation purposes.

The price of obtaining a license for tourist rentals ranges between €70 and €300, although it varies according to each autonomous community.

Regulatory powers over vacation rental licenses fall on the autonomous communities in Spain. However, city councils also have the power to regulate the matter. This last phenomenon is frequent, especially in the areas with the greatest tourist influx of our country.

What are the requirements to obtain a vacation rental license?

Notify the authorities

The first requirement to obtain a tourist apartment license is to inform the corresponding town hall of your intention to start a short-term or vacation rental activity. This is done by submitting a responsible declaration, which must include:

• Identification data of the home and its owner
• Maximum capacity of the home
• Accommodation operating period
• Management type (owner or external manager)

Once everything has been submitted, the city council will notify the corresponding Regional Tourism Registry, and the latter will assign you a registration number. From this moment you can start hosting guests at the property, although this may vary depending on the autonomous community.

The administration has a period to respond that ranges from 2 weeks to 3 months. Likewise, it is worth mentioning that the municipal regulation of uses of the sector where the home is located may limit or condition its use, as may the Statutes of the Community of Owners, if any.

Documents and services required

• Have an LPO occupation license.
• Have direct ventilation to the outside and air conditioning in all rooms.
• That the home has the layout, furniture and fixtures necessary for its immediate use, according to the number of places available.
• First aid kit.
• Have tourist information and services in the area, either in physical or electronic format.
• Poster indicating the disposition of complaint forms and their accessibility.
• Cleaning at the entrance and exit of new clients.
• Provide a contact person for clients and information regarding the use of facilities.

Declare the activity

The second requirement that must be met once you have been granted the license is to report it to the Tax Agency, regardless of whether or not you are obliged to pay the Tax on Economic Activities (IAE).

The category in which you must register your accommodation will vary depending on whether or not you provide lodging services considered typical of the hotel industry.

If the answer is affirmative, you must register it as “Non-hotel tourist accommodation” in group 685 of the IAE. Otherwise, you will have to register your business in section 861.1 “Rental of homes”.

Finally, do not forget that to provide legal security for rentals and adequately protect the rights of the tenant and the landlord, the best way to act is to formalize a vacation rental contract every time guests enter the home. .

In summary, obtaining a vacation rental license involves following a series of steps and complying with certain legal and fiscal requirements to guarantee the legality and safety of the tourist rental activity. It is essential to properly inform yourself about local regulations and follow the procedures established by the competent authorities to avoid possible sanctions or legal problems in the future.