Rental Rules at Orihuela Costa – 2026
Renting out your property at Orihuela Costa can be highly profitable, but regulations are becoming increasingly strict, particularly for short-term tourist rentals (such as Airbnb). This page provides an overview of the main obligations applicable to apartments and houses located in Orihuela Costa and the surrounding areas (Playa Flamenca, Punta Prima, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Campoamor, Villamartin, Los Dolses, Los Altos…).
This is a practical summary written by CasaCare360 to help you understand the key points — these rules apply specifically to the Valencian Community and may differ from regulations in other regions of Spain. For any important decision, we recommend checking the official regulations or seeking professional advice.
📅 1. What changes from 2026 onwards
The Valencian Community and the Spanish government are progressively reinforcing the control of tourist and seasonal rentals. From 2026 onwards, several points become particularly sensitive for property owners:
- Systematic verification of the tourist licence or seasonal rental regime.
- Obligation to obtain a National Registration Number (NRA).
- Stricter control of traveller registration.
- Increased monitoring of rental income tax declarations.
This guide helps you understand what is mandatory and what is not in 2026.
🏡 2. Tourist rental or seasonal rental
In the Valencian Community, there are two types of rentals:
- Tourist rental: stays of 9 nights or fewer — up to 10 days in total, often listed on platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.
- Seasonal rental: stays of 10 nights or more — a minimum of 11 consecutive days, generally rented to families, winter visitors or remote workers.
The applicable regime depends on the duration, frequency and the way you market your property. These thresholds are specific to the Valencian Community and may differ in other regions of Spain.
📝 3. Tourist licence
A tourist licence is mandatory for short-term rentals (stays of 9 nights or fewer — up to 10 days). The major rental platforms require a tourist licence to publish a listing.
- Must be obtained before starting tourist rental activity.
- Approval timelines vary by Ayuntamiento and can exceed one year.
- Linked to the cadastral reference of the property.
- No longer automatically transferred upon sale: a new owner must submit their own application.
- Valid for 5 years, renewable before expiry via a new responsible declaration. It can be withdrawn if the property no longer meets the technical requirements.
The following documents are generally required to submit the application:
- Your title deed (Escritura or recent Nota Simple).
- The cadastral certificate or full cadastral reference.
- The floor plans or a layout with measurements.
- A compliance certificate for the installations (electricity/water).
- A habitability report if required by the Ayuntamiento.
- Your NIE + full contact details.
- A digital certificate if you submit the application online yourself.
- The agreement of the owners' community — often the most difficult point to obtain, but essential in many cases.
We work with a trusted partner who handles all the formalities on your behalf:
file preparation, cadastral verifications, collection of required documents and online submission.
Fee: approximately €550 (depending on missing documents or the complexity of the file).
🔒 4. National Registration Number NRA
From 2025, every property offered for short-term rental — tourist or seasonal — must have a National Registration Number (NRA). There are now two types of NRA:
- Tourist NRA → for stays of 9 nights or fewer — up to 10 days (with tourist licence).
- Seasonal NRA → for stays of 10 nights or more — a minimum of 11 consecutive days.
A personal digital certificate in the owner's name is required to submit the application. Upon submission, a provisional number is automatically assigned — this number is sufficient to start renting. The definitive number is then issued after validation by the administration.
We manage the entire procedure on your behalf.
If you do not yet have your digital certificate, we can also assist you in obtaining it.
Fee: €275 (includes preparation + submission + full file follow-up).
📢 5. Obligation to display the NRA and tourist licence
In the Valencian Community, the display of legal information is strictly mandatory for any property offered for short-term rental, whether it is a tourist or seasonal rental.
The NRA number must be clearly visible:
- on the major rental platforms,
- on your personal website,
- on your social media publications, including a simple Facebook post.
For properties with a tourist licence, the regulations also require the display of the official red plaque, available for purchase online. It must be installed outside the property, ideally near the front door, visible from the main access point.
The absence of the NRA or the official plaque constitutes an infringement, even if the property is fully compliant administratively.
👤 6. Traveller registration (Hospederías)
The identity of each traveller must be registered within 24 hours of arrival via the official Hospederías platform of the Guardia Civil. This obligation applies to all tourist and seasonal rentals.
- Secure digital transmission.
- Mandatory declaration within 24 hours.
- Heavy fines in case of omission.
We take care of this procedure entirely in the following packages:
💶 7. The Modelo 210 (non-residents)
Non-resident property owners must declare their rental income via the Modelo 210. Since 2024, this declaration is annual.
- Filing between 1st and 20th January each year.
- Tax rate: 19% for EU/EEA residents, 24% for other countries.
- Deductible expenses for EU/EEA residents.
🧾 8. Deductible expenses (EU/EEA)
Property owners residing in the EU/EEA can deduct a wide range of expenses, proportionally to the number of days rented:
- IBI (property tax)
- Community fees
- Home insurance
- Maintenance and repairs
- Water, electricity, internet
- Loan interest
- CasaCare360 concierge fees
- Cleaning fees paid by your tenants
CasaCare360 provides detailed invoices allowing maximum deduction in your Modelo 210.
🚨 09. If you do not declare your rental income
The Spanish tax office now cross-checks its data with Airbnb, Booking and Expedia. In case of non-declaration:
- Back payment of the tax owed.
- Late-payment interest.
- Penalty of 50 to 100 of the undeclared amount.
🔍 10. Reinforced tourist inspections
Inspectors from the Generalitat now carry out more frequent inspections, especially in highly touristic areas of Orihuela Costa: Playa Flamenca, La Zenia, Cabo Roig, Campoamor, and others.
🏘️ 11. Rules of Homeowners’ Associations
In Spain, homeowners’ associations (comunidades de propietarios) can establish specific rules regarding tourist rentals. These decisions must be voted on during the general assembly, and their scope depends on the type of rental and the internal regulations of each building.
It is important to distinguish two situations:
- Restricting or prohibiting tourist rentals (stays of 10 nights or less) is possible, if approved by the qualified majority established by the Horizontal Property Law.
- Prohibiting seasonal rentals (stays longer than 10 consecutive nights) is not allowed. Communities cannot forbid this type of rental.
🔹 What majority is required?
Since the reform of the Ley de Propiedad Horizontal (LPH), a community may:
- Prohibit tourist rentals → requires a 3/5 majority of owners (participation quotas included).
- Apply restrictions (hours, elevators, use of common areas…) → requires a simple majority.
- Increase community fees for tourist rentals → 3/5 majority, up to a maximum of +20%.
🔹 What if you already have a tourist licence?
This is a key point. If you already hold a tourist licence and the community later decides to prohibit tourist rentals:
- Your licence remains valid: the community cannot revoke a right already granted.
- The prohibition applies only to new owners or to units that did not have a licence at the time of the vote.
- You may continue to rent your property legally as a tourist rental.
This principle is supported by Spanish jurisprudence: a community cannot retroactively remove an administrative right that was legally obtained.
🔹 What about seasonal rentals?
Even if the community prohibits tourist rentals, it cannot prohibit seasonal rentals, as this is considered a fundamental right of use of your property. You may always rent for 10 consecutive nights or more.
Seasonal rentals do not require a tourist licence, but they still require obtaining a seasonal NRA number.
🔧 12. Mandatory Equipment for Legal Rentals
To legally rent out a tourist property in the Valencian Community, several safety and comfort requirements must be met. These rules ensure that the accommodation is safe, functional, and suitable for the climate of the Costa Blanca.
- Fire extinguisher in good condition and easily accessible.
- First aid kit fully stocked.
- Emergency information (useful contacts, instructions, property address) clearly displayed.
- Smoke detector recommended (likely to become mandatory soon).
- Adequate ventilation or a compliant air extraction system.
- Furniture and bedding in good condition, suitable for the declared capacity.
- Sufficient natural light or lighting in main rooms.
- Air conditioning is mandatory for new tourist licences, in the living room and bedrooms, to ensure adequate comfort during the summer months.
⚠ Properties rented only under the seasonal rental regime (stays longer than 10 nights) are not required to have air conditioning, although it is strongly recommended to improve guest satisfaction and reduce complaints.
🛡️ 13. Recommended Insurance
Although not legally mandatory, having insurance specifically designed for short-term or seasonal rentals is strongly recommended. It protects your property from damage caused by guests and from unexpected incidents that may occur during a stay.
- Accidental damage to furniture, appliances or decor.
- Water damage (leaks, taps left open, infiltration).
- Liability cover for damage caused to neighbours or community areas.
- Policies tailored to tourist rentals (frequent short stays with high turnover).
- Theft or vandalism, included in certain insurance plans.
Several Spanish insurance companies offer policies specifically designed for tourist rentals, providing appropriate protection for both the owner and the particular conditions of Airbnb, Booking and similar platforms.
A solid insurance policy significantly reduces financial risk and provides peace of mind, especially if your property is rented frequently or if you do not live nearby.
🌐 14. Rules for the major rental platforms
The major rental platforms require:
- display of the NRA,
- display of the tourist licence,
- accuracy of the information provided,
- compliance with local policies.
👥 15. Obligations to travellers
You must provide a property that is compliant, clean, safe and consistent with your listing. Any misleading information may result in sanctions from the platforms and from the law.
🤝 16. How Casacare360 helps you
Casacare360 can:
- apply for your tourist licence,
- obtain your NRA number (tourist or seasonal),
- register your guests through the official platform,
- manage your stays through our concierge formulas,
- increase your property’s visibility and profitability through professional management.
📩 17. Need help?
Do you own a property at Orihuela Costa and wish to rent it out legally? We can guide you every step of the way.
👉 Discover our services and packages here: Page for owners