New Spain’s National Register for Short-Term Rentals

Spain’s National Register for Short-Term Rentals: Now Active, But Mandatory from July 1, 2025

Since 2 January 2025, Spain has officially introduced its National Register for Short-Term Rentals, a key measure intended to regulate holiday lets across the country. While the register is already operational, registration will not become mandatory until July 1, 2025. This transition period allows property owners and rental platforms to adapt to the new requirements.

The registration can be applied for on the website of the Spanish Land Registries Association at https://www.registradores.org/. The local Land Registry corresponding to your property’s location will assign the number and add it to your property’s details. The granted number will be reflected in the “Nota Simple” (Land Registry report).

What Does the New National Register for Short-Term rentals Mean for Property Owners?

- A Unique National Identification Number. Any property intended for short-term rental must obtain a registration number through the national platform. This applies to entire properties, individual rooms, and even boats used as holiday accommodations.
- Submission of Property Details. Owners must provide information such as personal identification, property type, capacity, exact address, and cadastral reference via the electronic office of the College of Registrars.
- Keeping Information Up to Date. Owners will be responsible for ensuring their registered details remain accurate and current. Every twelve months, the informational form on short-term rentals, as approved by order of the Minister for Housing and Urban Agenda, must be submitted for each category and type of rental. This form shall include, at a minimum, an anonymised list of the rentals entered into. (Thre’s not much information about this annual declaration at the moment)

Is There a Penalty for Not Registering? From July 1, 2025, failure to register a rental property could result in penalties, enforced under existing state, regional, and local regulations. Until then, owners have time to complete the process without facing sanctions.However, we do not expect the authorities to begin issuing fines to those who have not obtained the new registration number by 1 July, particularly given that we estimate only a small proportion of all tourist apartments will have completed the process by that date. What is more likely is that property owners will face difficulties advertising on online platforms if these begin requiring the registration number. In any case, we strongly advise starting the registration process as soon as possible and ensuring that, at the very least, the application has been submitted to the Land Registry by 1 July.

In Which Cases Can Your Application Be Refused by the Land Registry?

When applying for a registration number for a tourist rental property, it is important to be aware that the Land Registry may refuse your application under certain circumstances. Below are the main reasons your application might be rejected:

Previous Registration Cancelled by Regional Authorities. The Land Registry will verify whether your property was previously assigned a registration number by your Autonomous Community (e.g., the Junta de Andalucía), and whether that registration was subsequently cancelled. If the cancellation has been recorded by the regional authority, the Land Registry will reject the new application.
Prohibition or Restriction in Community Statutes. If the statutes of the Community of Property Owners explicitly prohibit holiday rentals, or more broadly restrict economic activities, your application may be refused. This has proven to be particularly contentious, as the Spanish Supreme Court has recognised that holiday letting constitutes an economic activity, which can fall under such restrictions.The only solution to this situation is to amend the statutes, which requires unanimity.
Mismatch in the Number of Rooms. Discrepancies between the number of rooms stated in the responsible declaration submitted to the Junta de Andalucía and the description recorded at the Land Registry may lead to refusal.
Inconsistencies in Property Address. Variations in the registered address of the property, especially common in older properties where street names or numbers have changed, can result in delays or rejections if the address does not precisely match official records.
“Under Construction” Status in the Land Registry. Surprisingly, many properties that were fully completed years ago still appear as “under construction” in the Land Registry. This is usually because the developer never filed the declaration of completion of works (“declaración de fin de obra“), a necessary step to formally update the property’s status. Although the Land Registry may be fully aware that the building was completed long ago, they can nonetheless refuse to assign a short-term rental registration number on the grounds that, according to the official record, the property remains unfinished. Of course, it this happens we can help to sort out this situation.
Failure to Provide the Resolution from the Regional Government Granting the VUT Licence. This issue typically arises when the applicant has obtained the VUT licence by means of a change of holder. In such cases, the Junta de Andalucía does not usually issue a formal resolution confirming the transfer of the licence to the new owner. Although the Land Registry can easily verify online—using a free and public platform—that the VUT licence is now registered in the name of the applicant, they continue to insist on receiving an official resolution, similar to the one granted to the original licence holder. We hope that, in time, the authorities will recognise that this requirement is unnecessary and adjust their procedures accordingly.

Key Takeaway

The National Register for Short-Term Rentals is already active, but registration only be compulsory from July 1, 2025. Knowing that the whole process may take approximately one month, we recommend addressing this as soon as possible, to ensure compliance before the deadline.
Although you already have a number granted by the Regional Government, you will still need to obtain this new number, meaning your property will have two different numbers: one granted by the autonomous community and another issued by the Land Registry
The outcome of the application is not guaranteed, at least not on the first attempt, as Land Registries are currently applying very restrictive criteria, as noted above. In some cases, an initial refusal may be overcome by correcting specific discrepancies; however, if the issue relates to incompatibility with community statutes, approval may not be possible.At Bravo Legal, we always review the documentation carefully in advance to minimise the risk of refusal and we will advise on any necessary corrections before proceeding with the registration.

Of course, at Bravo Legal we would be happy to assist with this. Our fees will vary depending on several factors, such as whether we have already obtained the holiday rental licence on your behalf, whether we hold a valid Power of Attorney (POA) or need to arrange a new one, whether you are able to provide a Digital Certificate, the location of your property, and other related circumstances. As a general guideline, our fees for assiting with this range from €150,00 + IVA to €300,00 + IVA. Additionally, there will be a fee payable to the Land Registry of approximately €32,67. Please get in touch with us, and we will provide you with more details and a personalised quote. Please note: we only offer this service for properties located in Andalusia.

If you would like us to assist you with this process, please be aware that we will need the following documents from you:

Copy of your title deeds. This is essential, as we need to know the C.R.U. (Unique Registry Code) of your property from the Land Registry. We will also need to check that the official description of the property matches the number of bedrooms stated in your holiday rental licence.
Tourist Rental Licence (VFT or VUT) – This should be the one granted by the Junta de Andalucía. If we previously handled the registration on your behalf, we should already hold a copy.
Power of Attorney or Digital Certificate – The application we must submit to the Land Registry requires a digital signature using your Digital Certificate. Alternatively, we will need a Power of Attorney signed before a Notary authorising us to act on your behalf in this matter.