Spain has been suffering a severe housing crisis over the last few years with many unable to access affordable housing and a deficit of accommodation in many areas.
Tourist rentals are often being blamed for driving up the prices and reducing the housing stock on the market.
Because of this and proliferation of tourist apartments in certain areas, city councils and regional governments have placed restrictions on the issuance of new tourist licences.
This is particularly true in major tourist cities, as well as the popular islands. Generally in rural areas or lesser-visited regions, there are not so many restrictions and rules, although a tourist licence is still needed.
Under the reform of the Horizontal Property Act, owners must also obtain prior approval by a three-fifths majority from their neighbours to operate a tourist rental in all areas across the country, if it’s located in a shared residential building or compound.
Andalusia
Seville, Málaga, Cádiz, Córdoba and Granada all have regulations that restrict the growth of the number of tourist apartments according to certain zones or have determined a period in which no more tourist licences will be authorised. Some of these areas where it is now more difficult to get a tourist licence or licences have been frozen include Albaicín in Granada and the historic centres of Córdoba and Cádiz.
Seville has restricted the granting of new licenses in 11 neighbourhoods of the historic centre where the proportion of short-term rental properties exceeds 10 percent of the residential supply.
More recently, Málaga announced that for the next three years, no new tourist apartments or hotels will be allowed on residential land in the city.
Asturias
Local councils have the power to limit the number of tourist licences that can be issued in each area.
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Balearic Islands
Licences for tourist accommodation are highly restrictive with caps placed on tourist beds and limited numbers, particularly in more popular areas.
In Mallorca, including Palma, renting out apartments in multi-family residential buildings is strictly prohibited. Licenses are generally only issued for detached single-family homes or villas in specific designated areas. Fines for operating without a licence can reach up to €400,000 or more.
Basque Country
Tourist apartment licences in the region must be renewed every five years.
Early this year San Sebastián City Council prohibited new licenses for tourist accommodations and hotels in the stressed neighbourhoods and residential areas of the rest of the city.
Many city councils in the region demand that tourist apartments be located on ground or first floors only.
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Canary Islands
A total of 90 percent of the properties here must be for residential use and only 10 percent can be used for holiday homes. There are also strict bans on tourist use in purely residential developments.
The limit rises to 20 percent on the islands of El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma.
Catalonia
Municipalities may only issue new tourist licenses if they respect the maximum threshold of 10 tourist apartments per 100 inhabitants. In municipalities that exceed this ratio, new applications for tourist licenses will be frozen until the number falls below this threshold.
Barcelona stopped issuing new tourist licenses in central zones years ago. The city has also passed measures revoking all existing licenses by 2028.
Unlicensed rentals face massive fines of up to €600,000.
READ ALSO: Spain may slap 21 percent VAT on tourist lets as part of new housing crisis plan
Madrid
The City Council currently has an outright ban in place on new tourist accommodation permits in the capital.
In the historic centre of the capital, the number tourist apartments allowed is strictly limited.
In other areas, tourist properties must have a dedicated independent entrance that does not mix with permanent residents' entrances. This effectively rules out 95 percent of standard residential apartments.
Valencia
Tourist apartments cannot exceed two percent of the housing stock in each neighbourhood of the city. When an area reaches this limit, no new licenses can be issued.
Licenses are no longer valid indefinitely; they must be renewed every five years. Room rentals to tourists are strictly banned; only entire flats can be rented.
Licences can only be issued for ground or first floors in mixed-use buildings, not purely residential.
Short-term tourist stays are capped at 10 consecutive days. Anything over 10 days falls under medium-term rental regulations.
In Alicante, in December 2025 a maximum of 0.187 tourist apartments was allowed per inhabitant. Currently the council has suspended granted any new licences until at least January 2027.
READ ALSO: How will Spain regulate tourist flats after the end of its national registry?
La Rioja
The capital of Logroño has certain restrictions in place as to how many tourist licences can be issued. The restrictions were extended in March of this year to add that licences will only be issued for ground floor apartments with independent access or when they cannot be used for habitual residences. They have also identified "saturated zones" in the historic centre where no more tourist apartments will be allowed.
Galicia
Some areas of La Coruña have limited the number of new vacation rentals.
In Santiago de Compostela, apartments will only be licensed for 60 days a year and will only be allowed to occupy the first floors of buildings.
Cantabria
Santander is the northern city in Spain which had the biggest growth in tourist apartments in 2024. Tourist accommodation here must be located on the ground floor and have a separate entrance.
Castilla-La Mancha
In Toledo, the municipal regulation sets a maximum quota of 12 percent for tourist accommodation across the whole city, not just the Historic Quarter. This means that tourist accommodation cannot exceed 12 percent of the regular housing stock.
Last year, Spain had issued a new ruling that all tourist rentals across the country had to be registered in a new platform, but in May of this year Spain's Supreme Court ruled against this registry.
The aim of the registry was to tackle illegal short-term rentals, but the ruling stated that Madrid had tried to intervene in issues controlled by the regions.
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