Spain Removes 53,000 Illegal Tourist Flats to Strengthen Rentals

(MÁLAGA) Spain has ordered the removal of 53,876 illegal tourist flats from the national short-term rental register, a sweeping move officials say will free up homes for permanent rentals as the country faces soaring housing costs. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the action on September 14, 2025, at a Socialist Party event in Málaga, framing it as an urgent step to help young people and families who can’t find affordable places to live.

The Ministry of Housing says digital platforms must delist the affected properties immediately, with the first removals taking effect between September 14 and 16, 2025. The decision targets properties that failed to obtain a new mandatory registration number under the national Registro Único de Alojamientos Temporales (Unique Registry of Temporary Accommodation).

Registry background and legal framework

• The registry became compulsory on July 1, 2025, after a six-month ramp-up that began in January.
• Homes without a valid registration number are now classified as illegal tourist flats and cannot be listed for short stays.
• The Ministry has notified platforms, including Airbnb and Booking.com, to pull the listings and is coordinating follow-up with regional and city authorities.

Airbnb said it would comply, noting that fewer than 10% of the revoked registrations touched its listings, and that 70,000 more ads now display registration numbers. The government argues the immediate effect will be a cleaner market for lawful short-term rentals and a path for many properties to shift to long-term leases. Whether owners will accept that path remains a key question.

Why the move: housing crunch and policy goals

Authorities view this as a direct response to a housing crunch reshaping life in many Spanish cities:

• Rents have climbed about 80% over the past decade.
• Nearly half of tenants now spend at least 40% of their income on rent and utilities — well above the EU average.
• In tourist-heavy neighborhoods (Barcelona to Sevilla), residents say short-term rentals squeezed out locals and pushed prices higher.

The national registry — the first of its kind in the EU — aims to set a clear line between legal and illegal tourist lets and give cities stronger tools to enforce rules.

Policy details and enforcement steps

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, led by Isabel Rodríguez, is directing enforcement through a new Single Digital Window system that links national, regional, and local data. The order covers both the national register and the presence of non-compliant homes on platforms. Listings without a valid number must come down, and owners have been notified of their flats’ deregistration.

Key elements include:

• Scope: 53,876 listings removed nationwide from the register and from platforms.
• Legal basis: Failure to obtain the required registry number after July 1, 2025 triggers removal.
• Enforcement: Platforms must delist affected homes; owners remain barred from legal short-term letting until they meet rules for either short stays or permanent rentals.
• Conversion goal: Flats should move into the long-term market, with checks for basic safety and habitability standards.

Regional and city breakdown

Regional impacts vary widely:

City hotspots (selected):

• Sevilla: 2,289
• Marbella: 1,802
• Barcelona: 1,564
• Málaga: 1,471
• Madrid: 1,257
• Benalmádena: 926

Some municipalities have already taken extreme steps: Sevilla has, in certain cases, cut off water to illegal tourist flats. The central government says it will work with city halls to guide owners wishing to transition their homes into permanent rentals and ensure basic conditions for long-term tenants.

Registry rollout and compliance data

• Since January 2025, more than 336,000 applications have been filed.
• About one in five were rejected for failing to meet national rules or local requirements.
• Officials cite the rejection rate as evidence that a unified system can weed out non-compliant listings and raise standards across regions.

Owners have two primary paths:

1. Come into compliance with the registry rules to continue lawful short-term letting (subject to local caps and zoning).
2. Shift to long-term leases, meeting standard safety and habitability rules.

The Ministry has not announced new fines tied to this specific action, but continued non-compliance can trigger sanctions under existing regional and municipal laws and permanent exclusion from legal platforms.

Impact on renters, owners, and tourism

The government’s central claim: converting illegal tourist flats into permanent rentals should help ease the housing squeeze.

• Housing advocates welcome the crackdown, saying it could relieve neighborhoods hit by tourist crowds and hollowed-out residential blocks.
• Residents in coastal and city-center areas report feeling pushed out of their own communities and blame tourist apartments for bidding up rents and changing the fabric of their streets.

Concerns and criticisms:

• Critics question whether owners will accept lower monthly returns from long-term tenants when tourism remains strong.
• Some fear landlords might keep properties empty, test workarounds, or shift to under-the-radar seasonal lets.
• Uneven enforcement between regions or legal challenges could slow the policy’s impact.

Analysis by VisaVerge.com suggests Spain’s unified registry sets a new baseline for control, but the real test will be sustained enforcement and owner behavior over the next year.

Tourism industry groups worry about lost income and jobs if fewer short-term rentals are available. The central government acknowledges trade-offs but maintains that housing stability must come first. Officials argue that lawful tourist rentals will continue under clear rules and that this action only targets illegal tourist flats without valid registration.

Political dynamics and local implementation

Tension is likely to continue between the central government and tourism-heavy regions:

• Some regional governments (including Andalusia) push for looser rules to increase housing supply through construction and flexibility, resisting strict limits on holiday lets.
• The central government says new homes alone won’t solve rent spikes in districts saturated by tourist apartments.
• Cities like Barcelona plan stricter bans on tourist apartments by 2028, increasing pressure for regional-local-central coordination.

On the ground, conversion will depend heavily on municipal capacity:

• Municipalities must review properties, confirm basic standards, and support owners choosing long-term leasing.
• The Single Digital Window will help track listing numbers, compliance, and shifts into the long-term market.

What this means for tenants and owners

For tenants:
– Any added supply could lower price pressure in tight neighborhoods.
– Young workers, students, and families stand to benefit most if more homes return as stable, long-term rentals.

For property owners:
– Expect standard obligations for long-term leasing: safety checks, basic maintenance, written contracts, and respect for regional rent rules where they exist.
– Owners who prefer to stay in the short-stay market must fix compliance gaps, secure valid registration numbers, and respect local planning rules.

Internationally, Spain is drawing attention as the first EU country with a unified national tourist rental registry. Other countries facing similar housing and holiday-let pressures may watch closely.

Immediate next steps and where to find official information

Immediate actions:

1. Platforms finish the delisting of the 53,876 affected homes.
2. Local and regional authorities guide conversions and check standards.
3. Ongoing monitoring — the Ministry is ready to propose further steps if progress stalls.

For official information on registry rules, compliance, or the Single Digital Window, consult the Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana. The Ministry’s site provides policy updates and contact details for owners and tenants who need help. Readers can find the official page here: Ministerio de Vivienda y Agenda Urbana.

The policy’s success will be judged by one measure: how many of the illegal tourist flats become permanent rentals, and how quickly. If even a fraction returns to the long-term market in the hardest-hit neighborhoods, renters could feel the change. If not, pressure may build for stronger measures, faster enforcement, or new incentives for owners. The coming months will show whether Spain can move thousands of homes from short stays back to everyday life.