Following news that Spain is to revoke over 50,000 tourist flat applications and make them available for young people trying to get on the property ladders, figures have emerged on which regions and towns of Spain are banning the most.
Spain’s Ministry of Housing recently ordered the removal of 53,000 more ads for illegal tourist accommodation from online platforms such as Airbnb, with Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez promising to turn these lets into long-term rentals for residents.
Since July 1st 2025, all landlords in Spain who want to let out their properties as tourist or seasonal rentals must have registered on the Spanish government’s Single Rental Registry.
The registry was introduced to try and get control of the booming tourist flat business in Spain, something that many in the country blame for the lack of housing supply and skyrocketing prices in both the rental and purchase market.
According to Ministry data, in total since the registry began to operate it has received 336,497 applications, of which 264,998 (78.75%) were tourist rentals. Of these, 53,786 have been revoked (20.3%).
If a code is revoked, it means that Spain’s Association of Registrars has received the application, that it contained incomplete data or data that did not comply with the regulations in force for the type of tourist activity that was intended, and that it was not corrected in a timely manner.
Sánchez and his government claim these properties will be reused as affordable housing for young and vulnerable people, giving them a chance to get on the property ladder.
The regions of Spain that have revoked the most tourist flat licenses are Andalusia, with 16,740, followed by the Canary Islands (8,698), Catalonia (7,729) and the Valencian Community (7,499).
Within the regions, the cities with the most holiday flats due to be withdrawn are the following.
Andalusia
- Seville: 2,289
- Marbella: 1,802
- Málaga: 1,471
- Benalmádena: 926
- Fuengirola: 686
Canary Islands
- Adeje: 765
- San Bartolomé de Tirajana: 637
- Puerto de la Cruz: 531
- La Oliva: 484
- Yaiza: 442
Catalonia
- Barcelona: 1,564
- Lloret de Mar: 517
- Salou: 453
- Roses: 402
- Sitges: 332
Valencia
- Valencia: 731
- Torrevieja: 700
- Denia: 538
- Alicante: 528
- Benidorm: 476
If you are intending to rent out your property in Spain you must makes sure it is correctly licenced as there are large fines for unlicenced properties
If you are looking to buy a property in Spain, Portugal or Greece and need a mortgage, email mark@vci-network.com for the latest criteria