legal

How do I get a tourist rental license on the Costa Blanca?

A tourist rental license (Licencia Turística or Registro de Vivienda Turística) is legally required in the Valencian Community before you can offer your property for short-term holiday rentals.

Operating without one can result in fines of €10,000-€600,000.

Here is the step-by-step process.

Requirements: Your property must meet specific standards including a first occupation certificate (cédula de habitabilidad), compliance with safety regulations (smoke detectors, fire extinguisher), adequate furnishing (beds, linens, kitchen equipment, air conditioning or heating), and tourist information materials.

For properties in buildings with community of owners, you need written approval — the community must not have explicitly prohibited tourist rentals in their statutes, and since 2018 Valencian law requires 3/5 (60%) approval from the community of owners for tourist rental activity.

Application Process: 1) Engage a licensed technical architect to prepare a certificate of habitability if you don't have one. 2) Prepare a responsible declaration (declaración responsable) — this is filed with the Valencian Tourism Authority (Turisme Comunitat Valenciana). 3) Submit the application online through the GVA (Generalitat Valenciana) portal with all required documents. 4) Registration number is typically issued within 1-2 months.

Once approved, you receive a registration number that must be displayed in all advertising and listings.

You are required to register all guests with the police (Policía Nacional) within 24 hours of arrival through the SES.Hospedajes system.

Annual obligations include maintaining insurance, filing rental income taxes quarterly, and keeping the property up to standard.

WOW-Estates can connect you with professionals who handle the entire license application process.