How Much Does a Holiday Rental Licence Cost?

Would you like to know how much a holiday rental licence costs?

You are in the right place, because in this article we have prepared a practical guide so you know exactly what types of licences exist in Spain, how much they cost and what changes from one autonomous community to another.

The first thing to know is that, depending on where your property is located, there is not always a formal “licence” as such, although in some places there is. You may instead need other procedures, such as:

• A responsible declaration
• A prior communication
• Registration in a tourism register

But do not worry: they are different names for broadly similar procedures, albeit with important nuances.

Since January 2025 there is also a national component which is not a tourist licence, but which affects you if you want to advertise on platforms:

• The Unique Rental Register
• And the Digital Single Window.

So, as you can see, there are two sides to consider:

1. The bureaucracy: what type of procedure you have to complete
2. The price: how much that procedure costs and all the associated expenses

Because it is not just about the cost of that “piece of paper”. It is about everything you need to take into account so your holiday home can operate properly and with full legal guarantees.

Let us break those ideas down so you can see them more clearly.

Factors that influence the price

Before we get into the figures, it is worth understanding what really changes the budget. These are the main factors:

• The location of the property
• The type of property
• And the additional services required

Location of the property

Location affects the price in three different ways, and all of them matter.

First: the autonomous community.

The difficulty is that each region uses different terminology for similar things (VUT, VV, tourist-use housing, HUT, and so on) and asks for different documents. Processing this in Madrid is not the same as doing it in the Canary Islands, even if the goal is similar.

Second: the municipality.

This is where the biggest difference usually appears. In some cities, in addition to the tourist register, you may need urban planning validation or a municipal licence.

For example, in the Community of Madrid, owners are told that in the municipality of Madrid they must have an urban planning licence for activity and operation.

In other municipalities, however, the corresponding local rules must be checked, because each council has its own regulations.

Third: stressed areas or areas with limits.

Barcelona is one of the most restrictive examples. In Catalonia there are municipalities where a municipal urban planning licence is required and where a maximum number of licences per inhabitant is set, with regularisation deadlines.

On the other hand, there is also Malaga, where a temporary suspension of new holiday homes has been applied for up to three years.

So, before thinking about which procedures to complete, the first thing we recommend is checking whether there are any limits that would prevent you from operating.

Type and size of the property

The logic here is simple: the more square metres your property has, the more likely you are to need additional technical work:

• Plans,
• A technical report,
• Verification of installations

And if your property is in a building community, there is another layer of complexity:

• Statutes
• Agreements
• Horizontal property rules

All of this takes time and, sometimes, carries additional costs.

Finally, if your property is old or has incomplete documentation, which can happen, you may need to carry out prior regularisation work before starting the tourism procedure.

Additional services required

The CIVUT is a good example of what we mentioned at the start: you cannot limit the total cost of a licence to the price of a fee. You need a more global calculation.

This is the case with the CIVUT, the Certificate of Suitability for Tourist Homes, which is required in Madrid:

What is it? A certificate signed by a technician confirming suitability requirements such as ventilation, heating and water, fire extinguisher, basic emergency signage, evacuation plan and so on.

Where is it required? In the Community of Madrid it is expressly listed as a requirement for the responsible declaration for tourist-use housing. It is not optional.

How much does it usually cost? There is no official price set by law. As a realistic market reference, it usually falls within an indicative range depending on complexity and the documentation available, which we explain below.

Prices by autonomous community

Now, let us look at the numbers.

The good news is that, in many cases, regional fees are zero or very low.

That is true.

So what you usually pay for is:

• Technical costs: certificates, reports, plans, urban planning certificates, and so on.
• Professional costs: an administrative manager, processor or agency support.
• And, where applicable, municipal costs for licences, reports or urban planning compatibility.

Here is the breakdown by region.

Madrid: between EUR 300 and EUR 800 (usual range)

As an indicative range to have everything ready, budget between EUR 300 and EUR 800.

Why that range? Because, when we look at what is normally required in Madrid, owners are usually asked for:

• Regional responsible declaration
• Urban planning requirements (municipal licence in Madrid city and municipal review elsewhere)
• Approval from the owners’ community
• CIVUT, which we covered in the previous section
• And civil liability insurance

Barcelona: between EUR 300 and EUR 1,000 (but with more restrictions)

In Barcelona, the first thing to check is whether your property can obtain a licence under the applicable planning rules.

Why? Because some Catalan municipalities have a reinforced regime: compulsory municipal urban planning licence, limits and deadlines. Barcelona also has its own urban planning framework, PEUAT, which determines where and how holiday rentals can operate.

If the procedure is viable, the technical processing and professional support usually cost between EUR 300 and EUR 1,000 for standard files. In complex cases, the amount can be higher.

That is the reality you are likely to face.

Canary Islands: zero fee, but technical costs apply

In the Canary Islands, the electronic office is clear: no fees are required to declare the start of activity and register it. That is official.

Even so, the file requires documents that normally involve technical professionals: a detailed report signed by a competent person, an urban planning certificate, photographs and so on.

The regulatory context has also changed recently with the new Canary Islands holiday homes law, so you need to review it carefully before starting any procedure.

Even so, here is an indicative scale for preparing and regularising the property depending on the island:

• Tenerife: between EUR 250 and EUR 600
• Gran Canaria: between EUR 300 and EUR 700
• Lanzarote: between EUR 200 and EUR 500
• Fuerteventura: between EUR 200 and EUR 500
• La Palma: between EUR 150 and EUR 400
• La Gomera: between EUR 150 and EUR 400
• El Hierro: between EUR 150 and EUR 400

To make it even clearer: in the Canary Islands, the price is defined less by a fee and more by the technical work you need.

Andalusia: it depends on the province, and Malaga has restrictions

In Andalusia, the regional framework increasingly coexists with municipal decisions. That changes the rules of the game.

Malaga, as mentioned earlier, is a special case because of the temporary suspension of new holiday homes. There, directly, there may be no possible procedure because operation is not allowed.

As indicative market ranges for private owners preparing documentation and processing a file without building works, the figures are usually:

• Seville: between EUR 250 and EUR 600
• Malaga: between EUR 300 and EUR 700
• Granada: between EUR 200 and EUR 500
• Cordoba: between EUR 200 and EUR 500
• Cadiz: between EUR 250 and EUR 600
• Huelva: between EUR 150 and EUR 400
• Almeria: between EUR 150 and EUR 400
• Jaen: between EUR 150 and EUR 400

As in any other region, bear in mind that the price may be higher because of the technical scope or because the file needs more professional support.

Procedure for obtaining the licence

Documentation needed

Although it changes by region, private owners are usually asked for the following documents:

• The owner’s DNI/NIE.
• Proof of availability of the property, such as the title deed or a contract that allows the use.
• Responsible declaration or prior communication.
• Civil liability insurance, depending on the region and highly recommended in all cases.
• Technical documentation where applicable:
  • Madrid: CIVUT.
  • Canary Islands: technical report, urban planning certificate, and so on.
  • Catalonia, depending on the municipality: municipal urban planning licence and authorisation.

Steps to submit the application

Here, the important thing is to follow this order so you can move forward with confidence:

1. First verify the municipal urban planning fit
2. Check the exact regional procedure
3. Prepare certificates and technical documentation only once step 1 is clear. Do not pay upfront.
4. Submit the procedure through the electronic office or register.
5. Keep proof of submission, registration number and the evidence you gather.
6. If you advertise on platforms, include the national requirement for the Unique Register and the Digital Single Window.

Additional costs

Administrative fees

In some regions they are zero, as is expressly the case in the Canary Islands. In others, municipal costs may appear for reports, licences or urban planning compatibility.

Professional service costs if you hire an adviser

When you hire a professional, you normally pay for:

• Document preparation and review
• Certificates or technical report
• Submission, follow-up and responses to requests

This varies a great deal by city, urgency and the state of your property’s documentation. But always keep this principle in mind: a well-prepared file costs less than one with gaps.

So, if you will allow us a piece of advice: get support from an agency specialising in holiday rental management so you avoid surprises later.

Tips to reduce costs

Everyone wants to reduce costs, which is logical, but this is not about pushing the technician down on price or simply choosing the cheapest option. The point is to avoid unnecessary detours and wrong decisions.

So before speaking to a technician or agency, carry out these checks yourself to save time and money:

1. First validate whether your property can operate, especially in cities with restrictions or suspensions.
2. Prepare the property and documents before the technician’s visit so you do not duplicate work or pay for two visits.
3. Reuse existing plans and certificates where they are valid and up to date. Do not pay twice for the same thing.
4. Do the simple administrative part yourself and pay only for the technical work once the planning fit is clear.
5. Plan the national requirement if your strategy depends on platforms. Do not leave it until the end.
6. In Catalonia, confirm whether your municipality is under the reinforced regime before hiring anyone. You may be unable to operate without knowing it.

Would you like help with the paperwork?

As you can see, knowing the price of a holiday rental licence is not simple, because there is no single figure that works for every case. It depends on many factors.

All the procedures also take time and can be tedious. So the question is: would you like us to help?

At Home2Book we are a company specialising in holiday rental management. We manage more than 600 properties in Spain and have the experience and tools to get your holiday home up and running legally and efficiently.

Contact us through this form and we will be happy to advise you on anything you need.