Buying in Spain to rent it out? Check four places first.

A flat can look ready to let and still be barred from it. The rules sit in four places, and you can check most of them before you sign.

General information, not legal advice. Checked against public sources in October 2026.

Your community of owners

Spain's Horizontal Property Law lets owners vote to restrict tourist lets in a building. Sources describe a three-fifths majority and a reform in April 2025, and they differ on the details, so do not rely on a summary. Read the statutes and the minutes of recent meetings yourself, and ask the administrator for a written confirmation that nothing has been agreed against tourist use.

The town hall

Councils set zoning and can limit tourist lets in some areas. Ask the town hall what applies to the street you are buying on, not the seller.

Your region

Each region sets its own licence, minimum stay and caps, so a rule that applies in Andalucía may not apply in Valencia. Reports describe limits by building or area in the Canary Islands. Look up your region's current rules before you commit.

The tourism register

Short-term lets have to be registered. The national registry rules have changed more than once, so confirm the position for your region before you rely on any article, including this one.

Your checklist

Tick each one as you confirm it. Your ticks stay in this browser only.

• Read the community statutes: do they restrict or ban tourist lets?
• Read the minutes of the last owners' meetings for any vote on tourist lets.
• Ask the administrator for a written confirmation that no restriction has been agreed.
• Ask for confirmation that no community fees or charges are owed on the property.
• Check the town hall's rules on zoning and any area where new tourist lets are limited.
• Check your region's rules: licence, minimum stay and any cap.
• Find out if the property already holds a regional tourist licence, and in whose name.
• Confirm the current position on the national registry number for your region.

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Where this comes from

The community vote is described by Osborne Clarke and idealista. Check the current text of the law, and take advice before you buy.