As highlighted in numerous reports, housing affordability has become Spain’s number one challenge. Soaring rental prices and limited housing supply are putting increasing pressure on local residents, especially in major cities. In response to this crisis, the Spanish government is taking action—one of the latest measures being the introduction of a mandatory rental registration system for short-term and seasonal lets.

What’s Changing?

In line with EU Regulation 2024/1028, Spain has passed Royal Decree 13212/2024, which came into effect on January 2, 2025. This decree sets out the process for registering holiday rentals under a new national system called the Ventanilla Única Digital de Arrendamientos (Digital One-Stop Shop for Rentals).
Starting July 1, 2025, all properties listed as holiday homes or seasonal rentals must be registered and assigned a unique rental code.

Failure to comply may result in fines of up to €500,000.

What Is the New Rental Code?

The new rental code is a unique identifier issued to each property listed for short-term rental. It must appear in all advertisements, including listings on platforms like Airbnb, Booking.com, and Vrbo.
 Important: This rental code is not the same as a Tourism Licence—you still need that separately.

Who Must Register?

You must register if:
You rent out a holiday home or offer seasonal lets
You advertise your property on platforms that accept online bookings and payments, such as:
Airbnb
Booking.com
Vrbo
 Platforms like Idealista (which do not process bookings or payments) are not currently included, but registration is still recommended to avoid legal grey areas.
Whether you’re renting out an entire property or just a room, you still need to register.

Who Is Exempt?

Long-term rentals (12 months or more)
Properties listed only on sites like Idealista or others that don’t handle online payments
However, voluntary registration is encouraged even in exempt cases, as enforcement may vary by region, and the rules remain somewhat unclear in non-platform scenarios.
Deadline to Register
All applicable rentals must be registered and display their unique rental code by July 1, 2025.

Legal Consequences of Non-Compliance
If you advertise a holiday or seasonal rental without the rental code, you may face:
Fines of up to €500,000 (depending on regional regulations)
Removal of listings from rental platforms
Suspension of your right to rent legally online