Spain’s national rental register has been up and running for a year, and the first results show a system that is already filtering out a large part of the short-stay market.
Spain’s so-called Ventanilla Única Digital de Arrendamientos — the Digital One-Stop Shop for rentals — has now been up and running for a full year, and the first results are in. Created under EU rules to tighten control over tourist, seasonal and room rentals, the system is reshaping how short-term accommodation is offered online after a slow start.
Since January last year, almost 300,000 tourist, seasonal and room-by-room rentals have been successfully registered through the Ventanilla Única, the state platform introduced under EU rules to tighten control over short-term lets. At the same time, 84,250 applications have been rejected, forcing those properties to be removed from online platforms.
In total, the Spanish Land Registrars’ body (given the task of running the registry) has received more than 400,000 applications. Around 75% have been approved and issued with a unique registration number (NRUA), with a further 16,500 still pending on a provisional basis. Just over one in five requests have been revoked.
One of the main reasons for rejection has been existing bans on tourist rentals in community statutes. Where the rules of an owners’ association prohibit tourist use, registrars automatically deny the NRUA, making it illegal to advertise the property online.
Tourist rentals dominate the register. About 72% of all applications relate to full holiday apartments, with a further 5.5% covering tourist rooms. Seasonal rentals account for around 15%, with non-tourist room rentals making up the remainder.
Regionally, Andalucía, Catalonia and the Valencian Community lead by a wide margin, together accounting for just over 60% of all approved registrations. The Canary Islands also record a high number of registered properties. Madrid is the clear exception: there, tourist rentals represent a small share of applications, while seasonal lets make up nearly half.
The next test comes this February. All registered properties must renew their NRUA by submitting an annual activity report detailing how the property was used over the previous year, including contract type, number of guests and dates of stay. According to the registrars, using a registration for a purpose other than the one approved — for example, running a de facto tourist let under a seasonal licence — can result in revocation and immediate removal from booking platforms.
