Owner Guide
Everything you need to legalise your holiday home in Málaga and the Axarquía in 2026 — without getting lost in the bureaucracy.
Quick answer
To let a holiday home legally in Andalusia you need: (1) an occupancy licence and a property that meets the equipment requirements, (2) a declaración responsable filed with the Junta de Andalucía to enter the Tourism Register (VFT number), (3) the national NRA number from the Ventanilla Única (mandatory since July 2025 to list on platforms) and (4) registration of every guest on SES.Hospedajes. The regional registration has no fee and lets you operate from the day it is filed.
01
You need the occupancy licence (licencia de ocupación or cédula de habitabilidad) and tourist use must not be restricted by your municipality or your community of owners. Since 2024 communities can restrict tourist use and town halls can declare limited zones — this is the first filter, not the last.
02
Andalusian rules require, among others: climate control in bedrooms and living room (cooling in the hot months, heating in the cold ones), external or forced ventilation in bedrooms, a first-aid kit, tourist information about the area, official complaint forms and cleaning at every check-in and check-out.
03
Registration is done through a declaración responsable filed online with the regional Tourism Department (digital certificate required). You can operate from the moment it is filed and the property is entered in the Andalusian Tourism Register with a number like VFT/MA/XXXXX that must appear in all your advertising.
04
Since 1 July 2025, on top of the regional registration, every tourist property needs the national Número de Registro de Alojamiento (NRA), requested through the Ventanilla Única Digital run by the Property Registrars. Without an NRA, Airbnb and Booking cannot publish the listing.
05
Every adult guest must be registered on the Interior Ministry's SES.Hospedajes platform. It is an ongoing obligation — every booking — and one of the tasks self-managing owners most often neglect.
06
With the VFT number and the NRA you can list the property. That is where the real work starts: pricing, guests, cleaning, incidents and tax. If you would rather not deal with any of it, that is exactly what we do for a flat 18% commission.
Listing the property before the registration number arrives — platforms check it, and the fine goes to the owner, not the platform.
Forgetting the national NRA, assuming the regional registration is enough: since July 2025 you need both.
Not registering guests on SES.Hospedajes for every booking.
Installing air conditioning only in the living room: the requirement covers the bedrooms too.
Not reading the community statutes before investing in the refurbishment.
As a non-resident, forgetting that rental income must be declared in Spain (Modelo 210) even if you also declare it at home.
This guide is for information only and reflects the rules in force at the date of publication; it is not legal advice. Tourism regulations change often — always check the situation in your municipality.
You can start operating as soon as the declaración responsable is filed with the Junta de Andalucía, and the registration number is usually issued within weeks. What takes time is preparing the property to meet the requirements (air conditioning, occupancy licence, equipment) and gathering the paperwork.
Registration in the Andalusian Tourism Register has no fee. The real costs are adapting the property (climate control in bedrooms and living room, first-aid kit, extinguisher…) and, if you delegate, the agent's fee. Holidays Malaga processes it at no extra cost for properties that join our management.
Operating without registration is an infringement of Andalusian tourism law that can lead to substantial fines, and you cannot advertise legally: platforms require the regional number and, since 2025, the national NRA before a listing goes live.
The register is regional, but since 2024 town halls can set their own limits (saturated zones, extra requirements) and Málaga city has a moratorium on new licences. In the Axarquía municipalities where we work — Nerja, Rincón de la Victoria, Vélez-Málaga, Torrox — it is worth checking the local situation first; we confirm it as part of the free assessment.
Yes. Non-residents apply in the same way; you need a Spanish NIE and a digital certificate (or a representative who files on your behalf). Bear in mind the tax side too: rental income is declared through Modelo 210.
Related: holiday rental tax for non-residents (Modelo 210) · checklist to prepare your house.
Free guide · PDF · 2026
VUT licence and NRA step by step, tax for residents and non-residents, a checklist to prepare the house and how to choose a manager. 8 pages, no fluff.
We process the VUT licence, the NRA and guest registration for properties that join our management in the Axarquía — along with listings, guests, cleaning and maintenance. Flat 18% commission, no lock-in.
