Spain’s new rental registry rules are causing confusion—Do you need to register?

Spain’s new rental registry rules kick in from 1 July 2025—but do you really need to register? It all depends on how and where you advertise your property.

Like many others working in and around the Spanish property market, I’ve been trying to understand the new Registro Único de Arrendamientos (Unique Rental Registry) and Ventanilla Única Digital de Arrendamientos (Digital One-Stop Shop for Rentals) introduced under Real Decreto 1312/2024, whose provisions shall apply as of 1 July 2025. The confusion stems from a key question: Who actually needs to register?

To help clarify, I spoke with José Luis Aguilar, partner at Broseta law firm in Barcelona and an expert in real estate regulation. His answer, in a nutshell: the obligation to obtain a registration number applies if you use—or intend to use—an online platform as defined in the Royal Decree, meaning one that handles bookings and payments, or has access to data on rental activity such as number of nights and guests. Think Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo. But that’s not quite the end of the story.

Who must register?

According to José Luis, the regulation “applies specifically to short-term rental properties offered through online platforms that allow guests to enter into contracts at a distance with hosts.” That’s how the decree defines a ‘platform’—and it’s based directly on EU Regulation 2022/2065.

So if you advertise your holiday rental on Airbnb or a similar site that enables instant bookings or online payments, or that is in a position to collect data (number of nights and number of guests), you’ll need to register your property and obtain a unique registration number from the new system. This number must be shown in your listing from July onwards.

What if you only use listing sites like Idealista?

This is where it gets a bit murky. Many people advertise rentals on sites like Idealista or Fotocasa, which simply publish classified ads and do not allow bookings to be made online. Do those properties need to register too?

José Luis explains that, in principle, no. “Under the current legal framework, platforms that merely connect hosts and guests without facilitating direct transactions or that are not in a position to collect data related to the rental are excluded from the scope of the regulation,” he says. In fact, the property porta Idealista has publicly declared that the new obligations do not apply to them.

This interpretation has now been confirmed by the Ministry of Housing. In its written reply to Broseta’s inquiry, the Ministry stated that a platform must allow contracts to be entered into at a distance in order to fall under the obligations of the new law. If it does not, registration is not mandatory.

So do you need to register or not?

Here’s where it gets a bit more complicated—and where some caution is advised.

While the letter of the law appears to exempt rentals not advertised on qualifying platforms, José Luis warns that “any interpretation that formally fits an exclusion but undermines the intent of the regulation could be considered contrary to its spirit and even constitute a breach of law.” In other words, just because it looks like you don’t have to register doesn’t mean you’re entirely in the clear.

He also highlights that the nature of the platform matters. If it evolves to include booking functionality, even via third-party integrations, or has access to booking data (even if it doesn’t formalise contracts), it might fall back within the scope of the regulation.

What’s the safest course of action?

If you only advertise your property offline or on non-booking sites like Idealista, you are not currently required to register. But José Luis recommends erring on the side of caution: “Given the evolving nature of online platforms and the enforcement goals behind the regulation—namely transparency and combatting the black market—it may be wise to register anyway, just to be on the safe side.”

And of course, if you plan to advertise on Airbnb, Booking.com, Vrbo or similar platforms from July 2025 onwards, registration is not optional—it’s the law.

In conclusion

Not all holiday or seasonal rentals in Spain must register under the new system. The requirement applies to those who advertise on online platforms that enable direct booking and payment. If you don’t use those platforms, you’re probably off the hook—for now.

But this is a new regulation, open to interpretation and possible changes. As José Luis puts it: “The key is how the platform actually operates, not just how it presents itself.” Wise words to bear in mind as Spain adjusts to its latest layer of rental regulation.

Guide: Spain’s new short-term rental registry and Ventanilla Única Digital