Equipping a tourist rental in Orihuela Costa: rules, comfort and upkeep (2026)
Compulsory equipment · Safety · Guest comfort · Linen · Welcome kit · Upkeep · Electricity
🗓️ Updated: 10 October 2026 🌐 Ce guide en français · Deze gids in het Nederlands
Punta Prima · Playa Flamenca · La Zenia · Cabo Roig · Campoamor · Villamartín · Los Dolses · Los Altos · Torrevieja
🛋️ The law first, then the guests
A tourist rental must meet a minimum equipment list set by the Generalitat. That is the condition for getting and keeping the licence. But it is guests who make a property's reputation: their reviews rarely mention the law, and very often mention the bed, the wifi or the air conditioning.
This page sets out what is compulsory, what earns good reviews, and who does what for linen, upkeep and electricity.
✅ Key points at a glance
- Legal minimum: air conditioning and heating at least in the living room, equipped kitchen, washing machine, internet and television, first aid kit, a wardrobe in every bedroom.
- Deadline: properties registered before August 2024 have until August 2029 to comply; new ones from registration.
- Safety: we install a fire safety kit in every property we manage, invoiced to the owner.
- Linen: it belongs to the owner; we wash it after every stay.
- Upkeep: by trusted companies; we pay the invoice, then recharge it to the owner.
- Electricity: an allowance is included in the stay; above it, usage is deducted from the deposit, except on Airbnb.
📋 1. What the law requires
Annex III of Decreto 10/2021, rewritten in 2026, sets the minimum requirements for tourist rentals in the Valencian Community. The main ones:
🚨 Safety and information
- evacuation plan or emergency instructions in several languages;
- first aid kit;
- emergency numbers on display and the address of the nearest medical centre;
- a 24-hour assistance phone number.
🌡️ Comfort
- air conditioning and heating, at least in the living room;
- hot water;
- power sockets in every bedroom;
- internet (except where there is no coverage) and television.
🍳 Kitchen
- fridge;
- oven or microwave;
- cooker hood or extractor;
- hob: 2 rings for up to 4 people, 3 from 5 people.
🛏️ Property
- furniture, crockery, cutlery and linen in sufficient quantity for the number of guests;
- a wardrobe for each bedroom;
- a washing machine, unless the building has a shared laundry room.
The law also covers services: the licence holder must organise cleaning, linen changes and repairs, directly or through a third party. Simply giving the guest a tradesman's number is not enough. Extra beds (sofa beds) may not exceed half the fixed beds, cots do not count, and key handover through a key box on the public street is banned.
👉 These requirements can be checked during an inspection. For the licence itself, see our guide Tourist licence in Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja. Seasonal rental, from 11 nights, does not impose this list, but a guest staying three weeks expects the same comfort.
🧯 2. Beyond the minimum: the fire safety kit
In every property we take on, we supply and install, before the first booking, a fire extinguisher, a fire blanket, a smoke detector on each floor and a first aid kit. This kit is invoiced to the owner when our collaboration begins.
⭐ 3. What earns good reviews
Beyond the law, this is what guests on the Costa Blanca notice, and mention in their reviews:
- Sleep. A good mattress, pillows in good condition, blackout curtains and, ideally, air conditioning in every bedroom: in July and August, it is the first topic in reviews.
- Wifi. Fast and stable throughout the property, terrace included. Many guests work remotely, especially in winter.
- The kitchen. Coffee maker, kettle, toaster, pans in good condition, enough crockery and glasses for every bed.
- Outdoors. Terrace table and chairs, sun loungers, parasol or awning, lighting for the evening.
- Families. Cot and high chair, even if only on request: they open the property to a loyal clientele.
- The small details. Hairdryer, iron, clothes airer, plenty of hangers, sockets or USB chargers by the beds.
👉 Simple equipment that works beats a high-end appliance that is broken. And everything listed in the advert must be there and working: equipment that is advertised but missing is the hardest complaint to recover from.
🧺 4. Bed linen and towels
The linen belongs to the owner. We wash it after every stay, as part of the cleaning. Replacing worn linen remains the owner's responsibility, like all normal wear and tear.
👉 Provide several sets per bed and per guest, so linen can be changed between back-to-back stays. Good-quality white linen, the same colour throughout the property, is easier to replace and gives a hotel feel.
🎁 5. The welcome kit, free with the 4-star formula
With the 4-star formula, every guest finds basic kitchen products on arrival and, in each bathroom, a hygiene kit (toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap). This kit is offered by Casacare360, at no cost to the owner.
🔧 6. Upkeep and repairs
Air conditioning, pool, garden, water heater, appliances: well-maintained equipment breaks down less often, and a breakdown in high season is costly in reviews. For upkeep and repairs, we use trusted companies that we work with regularly.
Who pays? The owner. We pay the company's invoice, then recharge it to you, with both the 3-star and the 4-star formula.
👉 Keep these invoices: depending on your country of residence, they may be deductible (see Renting legally), and they prove the value of equipment if it is damaged (see Insurance and damage).
⚡ 7. Guests' electricity use
Air conditioning in summer, heating in winter, a heated pool: the electricity bill can climb fast. To protect the owner, the stay includes an allowance of 20 kWh per day for an apartment and 30 kWh per day for a house. Above that, usage is charged at €0.30 per kWh and deducted from the deposit, on direct and Micazu bookings. On Airbnb, no extra charge can be requested.
🤝 8. What Casacare360 does
- Fire safety kit supplied and installed before the first booking, invoiced to the owner.
- In-person welcome for every guest, never a key box on the street.
- Linen washed after every stay.
- Free welcome kit with the 4-star formula.
- Upkeep and repairs by trusted companies, invoice paid by us and then recharged.
Compare our 3-star and 4-star formulas, or message us on WhatsApp: +34 604 470 876.
❓ Frequently asked questions
What equipment is compulsory in a tourist rental in the Valencian Community?
Among other things, air conditioning and heating at least in the living room, hot water, a kitchen with fridge, oven or microwave, cooker hood and hob, a washing machine, internet and television, a wardrobe per bedroom, a first aid kit and emergency instructions (Annex III of Decreto 10/2021).
Is air conditioning compulsory in every bedroom?
No. The law requires it at least in the living room. But in summer, a bedroom without air conditioning is one of the first causes of poor reviews.
Does my property, registered before 2024, have to meet the new standards?
Yes, but it has until August 2029. Properties registered since then must comply from registration.
Can I use a key box?
Not on the public street: this has been banned in the Valencian Community since 2026. At Casacare360, every guest is welcomed in person.
Who pays for air conditioning or pool maintenance?
The owner. Casacare360 brings in trusted companies, pays their invoice and recharges it to the owner, whatever the formula.
Does the guest pay for electricity?
An allowance is included in the stay: 20 kWh per day for an apartment, 30 kWh for a house. Above that, usage is charged at €0.30 per kWh and deducted from the deposit, on direct and Micazu bookings. No extra charge is requested on Airbnb.
Who provides the bed linen and towels?
The owner, to whom the linen belongs. Casacare360 washes it after every stay. Replacing worn linen remains the owner's responsibility.
✍️ Who wrote this guide?
This guide is written by Gauthier, co-founder of Casacare360 with Amy, a licensed estate agent (API nº 01529). A Belgian couple living on the Costa Blanca, we speak French, Dutch and English, and manage tourist and seasonal rentals every day in Orihuela Costa and Torrevieja, welcoming every guest in person.
Casacare360 (Casa care 360 SL) is listed in the Valencian Community's register of estate agents under number RAICV 4145. Rated 4.9/5 on Google. More about us.
📚 Reference texts
- Decreto 10/2021 of the Consell (tourist accommodation regulations), Annex III: minimum requirements for tourist rentals.
- Ley 3/2026 of the Generalitat of 29 June 2026 (BOE-A-2026-15683), which rewrites Annex III, later amended by Ley 5/2026 of 31 July 2026.
This guide is for information only and does not replace professional advice for a specific situation.