Legal requirements for holiday rentals in the Valencian Community

May 2025

The Valencian Community is made up of three provinces: Alicante, Valencia and Castellón, and if you have a property to rent you must meet a series of legal requirements. These are included in the Autonomous and National Legislation in Spain. In this article you will learn more about the holiday regulations in the Valencian Community how to abide by them.

If you’re interested in how to properly manage your holiday rental in the Valencian Community, you’ll need to know about two key laws: Law 15/1997 and Decree 92/2009.

In 1997, Law 15/1997, June 25, 1997, on Tourism Management of the Valencian Community was approved, establishing the bases for the regulation of rentals in the tourism sector. This is the most important information you need to know about Law 15/1997:

1. It’s applicable to all tourist accommodations and holiday rentals.
2. It classifies tourist establishments with a series of criteria based on the characteristics and services offered.
3. It details the duties of holiday owners such as maintaining conditions of habitability, providing the advertised services in compliance with safety standards and providing the required information to tourists.
4. The law establishes an inspection regime to ensure compliance with tourism regulations. In addition, it defines the corresponding sanctions in case of non-compliance with the established obligations.

In Decree 92/2009, of July 3, 2009, the Consell regulated stays in tourist apartments, tourist dwellings and rural tourism accommodations. It also includes the obligation to comply with the minimum conditions of habitability, the obligations of the owners, the services offered to tourists and the penalties for non-compliance.

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REEPT: What is it and why do you need it?

The Registry of Tourism Companies, Establishments and Professions (REEPT) in the Valencian Community is managed by the Valencian Tourism Agency, and is mandatory for holiday rental management in the Valencian Community and must be followed by all holiday home owners. A series of requirements must be met in order to obtain this license:

• Prerequisites: these must comply with the conditions of habitability, minimum services, among others. 
• Documents: these may vary according to the province, but generally include: Owner’s identification or passport, the property title, the occupancy license, and the responsible statement of compliance with applicable legal requirements and regulations. In some cases other specific documents are requested according to the location of the rental.
• Application: the application for registration is submitted to the Agència Valenciana del Turisme or other competent entity. In some cases an administrative fee must be paid.
• Inspection and evaluation: once the application has been submitted, an inspection of the accommodation may be carried out to verify that it complies with the established requirements. An evaluation of the documentation submitted will also be made.
• Registration: if all requirements are met, the lodging will be registered in the REEPT.
• Issuance of the license: a license with a registration number is issued to the owner and is mandatory to legally operate the tourist accommodation.

By obtaining registration in the REEPT, the municipality or competent body will be able to control and regulate the tourist offer in the region.

Legal requirements for Tourist Housing (VT)

Tourist Housing (VT) are the accommodations known as:

• Villas
• Apartments
• Bungalows
• Chalets
• Rural houses

Rural areas

There are legal regulations that must be complied with as part of your property management in the Valencian Community. Decree 184/2014, of October 31, establishes the following for rural rentals:

1. Scope of application: The municipal area must be bordering the sea or linked to a metropolitan area.
2. Modalities and categories: They can be rural houses, or farms for camping with on-site accommodation. These are classified from 1 to 5 stars, divided into standard and superior categories.

In rural houses, the entire house must be rented and must have its own exit to the public road. In addition, these must have a maximum of 16 beds. On the other hand, on a farm with on-site accommodation, guests can rest in tents or caravans on land within the property. Another option available on rural lands are tourist lodges, which accommodate travellers in collective rooms and must have a maximum of 17 beds.

If you have a rural house, some of the categories for such houses that are more than 50 years old (according to the law) are Masía, Alquería or Riurau. A property is categorised as a village house if it’s located in an urban area and conserves the traditional style of the area. All establishments must display at the main entrance the plaque with the category granted.

In many of these areas, rural hostels and apartments are common. The requirements they must meet, according to Decree 153/1993, of August 17, are:

• Accommodation must have no more than 50 beds if it’s a hostel, and 16 beds if it’s an apartment.
• If the building is traditional, historic or ethnographic, it must have a distinctive sign on its façade.
• The municipality where it is located must have less than 5,000 inhabitants.
• Accommodation must comply with the equipment according to the area: water, heating, kitchen, electricity, among others.

In cities as well as in rural areas, it is necessary to have a document stating you will legally and responsibility manage your holiday property in compliance with the legal requirements discussed earlier. This is called the Responsible Declaration.

What is the responsible declaration?

Any person wishing to begin holiday rental management in the Valencian Community (and thus use their accommodation for holiday rental purposes) must submit a responsible declaration. In this declaration, he/she declares compliance with the current requirements requested by the headquarters of Turisme de la Comunitat Valenciana.

A series of steps must be followed in order to file the responsible declaration:

1. Access the portal of the Generalitat.
2. Select the holiday rental service.
3. The Consell will keep updated all the documents to be collected.
4. Fulfilling the requested requirements, the responsible declaration of tourism is accredited.

As for the requirements according to the accommodation’s category, the property must the following documents:

• Hotel establishments: Data on equipment and services, number of rooms and classification documents.
• Tourist apartments: Landlords must specify the number of rooms and services.
• Tourist housing management companies: Declare a list of dwellings with a report on their urban planning compatibility. 
• Camping sites and motorhomes: Have the list of parking spaces, documents of available plots and facilities.

If your property is managed by a holiday rental manager, that person must comply with a series of requirements in order to qualify for the responsible declaration. Among the documentation, the manager must:

1. Provide the availability of properties destined for tourist use with documentation of the property deed and its authorisation for holiday rental management.
2. Comply with the specific legal requirements based on the property category and guest capacity.
3. Provide an urban development compatibility report.
4. Provide a license of occupancy of the accommodation(s).
5. Have liability insurance to cover potential damages.

Decree 10/2021, January 22: What holiday rental regulations should be considered?

Registration in the Tourism Registry of the Comunitat Valenciana

Once you have your Responsible Declaration, you will then need to register your property with the Tourism Registry of the Comunitat Valenciana. Doing so will, if your application is approved, provide you with a tourist license that legally permits you to rent your property for tourism purposes.

Here are some things to consider when you apply:

1. Your Responsible Declaration must have started at least 2 months before you apply, otherwise the inspection body will cancel the registration.
2. You will need to declare proof of ownership documents for your holiday home.
3. You will need to comply with the specific requirements for your property type.
4. If the property does not comply with the formalities in Law 39/2015, penalties may apply.
5. If any information in your application is inaccurate, this can cause your application be rejected.

If an inaccuracy or problem in your documents is detected, it could be for the following reasons:

• Any document may suggest there is a potential risk to the safety of the property, owners or guests.
• Lack of documentation regarding fire prevention and protection.
• Cancellation of the responsible declaration.
• Non-compliances in licensing documents or urban development reports.

Liability insurance

All persons engaged in holiday rental management in the Valencian Community must take out a civil liability insurance policy to cover possible damages. It is mandatory due to problems that may arise during guest stays, and to protect against unforeseen failures of the property. Your insurance document must be kept up to date and in your possession.

General technical requirements

All holiday rentals in the Valencian Community must comply with the following technical requirements:

• Water supply fit for human consumption.
• Power supply.
• First aid kit.
• Heating according to the municipality where it is located.
• Fire protection equipment.
• Landline phone with ambulance, pharmacy, police or fire department directory.
• Solid waste and wastewater disposal systems.

Decree Law 15/2018 of June 7: What holiday rental regulations should be considered?

• Sustainability commitment: every landlord must comply with the sustainability development where their rental is located.
• Hospitality: respect the basic principles of the Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.
• Commitment to safety and guarantee: to take into account accident prevention and health protection.
• Quality of services: maintain each of the property’s spaces in optimal condition.
• Rights of tourists and neighbors: to ensure the enjoyment of guests and the tranquility of neighbors by providing standards for each visitor.

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